Desperate Soul
by Notsureyet18
Summary: Originally Failed Test: Emma Swan comes to Storybrooke at 17 instead of 28. Young and alone, she makes a deal she doesn't understand. Prequel to OUAT
1. Chapter 1

This was a suggestion I got on storytelling and I decided to go for it. For the most part, this will be the same, one or two extended scenes, and did some editing. Let me know what you think of the new version!

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><p>Chapter 1:<p>

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><p>Tears are blinding my vision, but I continue on driving. Teeth clenched together, I grip the steering wheel as I press forward. Dark hair obscures my vision, and I angrily wipe it out of my eyes. My body is screaming for sleep. I have been driving now for almost seven hours. I have a suitcase in the trunk full of clothes. The back seat is filled with a box of a few of my belongings. On my passenger's seat, I have a map to help guide me along. I am not sure where my final destination is or what I'll do when I get there, but for now, I need to keep moving.<p>

Paranoid, I keep glancing at my wallet in my cup holder. For almost two years, I have saved up cash from little odd jobs before finally picking up and leaving my home for good. In that wallet is all of my cash, and a credit card as well. It's cost me over two hundred dollars, this little journey of mine, to have driven as far as I have, but that's fine. I just need to put enough distance between myself and _them. _It's been almost a week since my escape. The time on the radio says its just after seven.

My body aches. I cannot spend another night in this cramped little car of mine. I make a sharp turn, and I find myself driving through what looks like the woods. I am now traveling on a little background, not daring to travel on the high way. I have been determined to avoid them since the start of my little journey. There are almost no lights in the heavily wooded area. This makes me a little nervous. Up ahead, I see a white sign.

'Odd' I think to myself.

I grab the map as I pull of to the side of the road. The headlights of my car shine off the little white sign in front of my car. Strange enough, or at least I think it's strange, it looks like the sign is placed right above a well.

'Welcome to Storybrooke' it reads. I grab the map to try and find the little town on the map. Little towns such as Essex and Saratoga pop up, but nothing about a Storybrooke. Hoping to stop in and find a little hotel room for a few days, I decide to visit the little town. I can afford to sleep in a real bed for a few days. The aches in my body almost sigh in relief. Pulling back onto the road, I drive until I reach the little town known as Storybrooke. Not far into it, I see a little sign for 'Granny's Bed & Breakfast', and I follow the signs.

While driving through, I pass through what I guess to be is the town center. There is a tower with a big clock, time reading 7:30. There is absolutely no sign of life, except for a man with a large umbrella walking a Dalmatian. I can help but smirk at the sight. I'm not sure why he needs an umbrella at night when it isn't even raining.

"No wonder this place isn't on the map" I mutter to myself as I pull up next to man. He is kind of funny looking with big glasses and a tuff of orange hair on top of a balding head.

"Hi there" I say, rolling down my window, "Could you give me some directions. I'm a little lost"

"Sure thing" he beams down at me. The dog gets close to window and begins sniffing my car. "Where are you headed?"

"I'm looking for a place called Granny's"

"Oh, well you are in luck because it is actually just right up main street" he says with another big smile, "Just make a left at the end of street and it'll take you right there!"

"Got it. Thank you very much, sir" I give him a tight lipped smile. He nods and continues walking. His dog, obviously disinterested, doesn't need much coaxing to be pulled away.

Thinking the entire encounter was a little strange, I continued on with my little journey. It takes about ten minutes, but soon enough, I am in front of a rather large house, the title reading, 'Granny's Bed & Breakfast'. There is a little patio out in front and it gives the place an very old-fashioned, homey feel. Parking my car, I get out and head to the front of the house, dodging the overgrown shrubbery in the way. I feel butterflies in my stomach as I notice the place looks deserted. Opening the door, I am surprised that it is so heavy, and I unintentionally slam the door behind me. I set my heavy suitcase down and look around the place. I can't help but notice how much dust is everywhere.

"So, you were out all last night and now you're going out again!" comes the voice of an older woman.

"I should have moved to Boston" a younger woman's voice snarls back.

"Well, I am so sorry that my heart attack interfered with your plans too…" the older woman comes into view and stops at the sight of me.

"Hi' I say, feeling awkward, "I'd like a room"

"Really" the woman gasps. She has a kind face and long white hair that is clipped to the top of her head. Behind her, a very pretty girl dressed in red and black comes into view. She has jet black hair with red streaks all the way through it.

"How long will you be with us" the older woman beams at me, "And would you like a forest view or a square view? Normally, there's an upgrade fee for the square view, but since rent is due, I'll waive it'

"Uh, square is fine" I say with a small shrug, "And I'll be here for a week. Only a week"

"Sure thing hun" the woman, Granny says as she pulls out a dusty old book. Pulling on a pair of glasses, she looks back up at me. "And your name please"

I hesitate for a moment. "Jenna. Jenna Black"

"Jenna" an entirely new voice says.

I turn around to see a middle aged gentleman standing behind me. He has on what looks to be a very expensive suit. His features can only be described as sharp, and his features are accentuated by the length of his brown hair, which is longer than most gentlemen his age. I don't know where he came from, and from the looks of Granny and the other girl, who has now retreated to the back room again, neither do they.

"Jenna" he says again, 'Did you know that Jenna means to be white, or fair. Another interpretations is 'little bird'. Like a little white dove"

"Uh, thanks" I say, and he flashes a grin at me.

"It's all here" Granny says from behind her desk as she extends a hand towards him. My eyes widen at the large roll of money in her hand. The man behind me quickly steps in front of me to snatch it out of Granny's hand.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure it is dear" he says, his voice coming out in what sounds like a hiss. He soon turns back to me. "I have always had a fascination with names. Yours fits you very nicely"

I nod at him, noticing the rising tension in the room. Plus, I just don't know how to respond to that comment.

"Enjoy your stay, Jenna" he remarks before turning around on a black cane that looks as expensive as his suit.

He walks towards the door and as he opens it, he makes eye contact with the girl in the back room. She is frozen in place, the expression on her face a mixture of fear and curiosity. He gives her a slight nod before exiting the building. The entire building seems to sign with relief.

"Whose that?" I ask.

"Mr. Gold" the girl is now peering out the window curtain, obviously watching the man as he leaves. "He owns the place"

"He owns the inn?"

"No, the town" Granny seems to still be trying to shake off the effect of the unwelcome visitor as she reaches into a cup board and pulls out a key. It is very old fashioned, which is a bit of a surprise to me.

"So, you'll be with is a week then?" Granny says as she marks this down in her little book.

"Yes, only a week" my voice comes out a little choked. I can't help it. After being on the road for so long, I am still a little emotional.

"Oh!" Granny gasps as she reaches for my hand, "Honey are you okay?"

"Don't worry about it I say" I hold my breath and pinch my nose to prevent anymore tears from coming out. The girl in the other room is still to busy staring out the window to notice. I am silently grateful for this.

"Well, here's your key" Granny presses the old looking key into my hand, "Your room is on the second floor. Why don't you go upstairs and get some sleep. You look like you've had a long night"

I give her soft smile before pulling out a fifty dollar bill and my credit card. I am grateful that Granny is offering my a special for fifty dollars for two nights. Picking my suitcase back up, I go up the stairs, looking for room 715. Except for an older couple and a lone man, the floor is virtually empty. This is fine with me. Once I find my room, I quickly shut and lock the door behind me. Not bothering to disrobe, I simply take off my jacket and slip under the covers, thankful to have a real bed again, even if its just for a little while.


	2. Chapter 2

Flashback:

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><p>"Little baby has no mommy!" a mean boy rushes up and pushes me off the swing set.<p>

Face flat in the dirt, I can't help begin to cry as other boys circle me, pointing and laughing. I get up, but another boy pushes me back down. A few more other boys begin laughing at me too. The school bell soon rings and the other kids run back to school, screaming and shoving. Soon, I am left all alone in the dirt. Dusting off my shirt and wiping my eyes, I look up to see my teacher and two other grown-ups walking toward me.

An old lady with white hair and big glasses comes up to me, holding out her hand. "Emma, you won't be going back to class today. I've already spoken with your teacher. You need to come with me. My name is Mrs. Delano"

Not saying anything, I let her take my hand. I can see my teacher nodding at me behind her. She looks like she is crying. I am confused; grown-ups don't cry.

"Where's Miss Anna" I ask the old lady with white hair.

"You won't be going home with Miss Anna today" Mrs. Delano tells me.

I can't help burst into a new round of tears. I know what this means. Miss Anna doesn't want me anymore. She told me a few days ago she was having her own baby. I didn't think she wouldn't want me anymore too. I am going back to that place, the orphanage as the grown-ups call it, with the other boys and girls. Miss Anna won't come back. The other lady I was with before her didn't either.

"Don't worry Emma, it's only for a little while, you'll see" Mrs. Delano says. This what the other lady had said too when she had picked me up. I yank my hand out of hers.

"Grown-ups shouldn't lie!" I yell at her.

Mrs. Delano turns around to me, her face turning red. "Emma, I-"

"No!" I am crying and my yellow hair, which has fallen out of my pony tail, is getting in my eyes. Feeling mad, I wipe it, trying to get it out of my eyes. "The last lady said the same thing! She told my teacher I had to leave school too! Ms. Vina never came back and Miss Anne won't now! You're going to take me back to that place with the other boys and girls!"

Mrs. Delano doesn't say anything this time. Instead, she pats my shoulder as she steers me towards a black car and opens the door. In the back seat, I can see my little purple suitcase and a small box next to it. In the box, I can see my baby blanket. Snatching it out of the box, I hug it to me as I begin to cry.

The lady at the home, Miss Jenna, look very sad to see me as I get out of the car. Rushing out of the car to get away from Mrs. Delano, I run into Miss Jenna's outstretched arms as she hugs me tightly. Miss Jenna is an older girl, a teenager who often stayed with me before I left with Miss Anna. I am happy she is still here. She is the only friend I have.

"Honey, I am so sorry" she whispers to me. "If it makes you feel better, I am happy you're back"

I smile through my tears. Its not long before another lady pries me away from her, demanding I get my stuff out of Mrs. Delano's car. I am not able to see Miss Jenna again. She is told to go home with her mother before I can hug her again..

"She'll be here tomorrow" another lady, one with a mean face stares down at me evilly. Nodding, I do my best to wipe my face. Baby blanket in one hand and my suitcase in another, I am taken inside.

By the time night comes, I am exhausted. I am in a new bed. I wasn't even allowed to have my old one. The little clock on the dresser says its not even eight, so the other girls I am sharing a room with aren't in yet. I curl up on the bed with my baby blanket next to me. Another girl tried taking it away with her, but I screamed so loudly that she left so she wouldn't get in trouble. I was able to pull my big story book out of my suitcase. It is called Once Upon a Time, and is my favorite. Miss Jenna gave it to me and I take it everywhere. With it, I am left alone to my imagination, and most of the time, these are the only friends I need. Before I close my eyes, I wish for a friend that was real, at least one to have when Miss Jenna isn't here.

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><p>I am standing in front of a mirror. It is bigger than I am. I am wearing a long white princess dress. My hair is up on the top of my head and I have a glittering white tiara on top. I look like a ballerina. No! I look like a princess! Twirling around I admire the long dress and the white heels. I giggle. There is a high pitched humming sound coming from behind me. Looking around, I see I am in a strange place. For the first time, I notice that it is dark and foggy, like a scary movie. There is a big castle with a light in room almost at the top. I don't want to get my dress dirty, so I pick it off the ground and walk towards the castle. As I walk to the front of the castle, the doors swing open and there is a big stairway at the end of the hallway. The humming as gotten even louder.<p>

"Hello?" I say. There is no response.

Picking up my dress, I walk up the stairs, my little legs hurting way before I reach the top. I get to the top and there is another door which opens up only slightly. Poking my head inside, I gasp as I see a dark room full of books. There are more books here then there were in the library at school. There are some strange looking bottles that are glowing.

"Well, are you just going to stand there like a frightened mouse or are you going to come in?" comes a really high voice.

This scares me, and I look in the direction the voice came from. There is a…grown up standing behind a large spinning wheel. There is gold glittering thread coming out of it. I can see the grown-up has on strange clothing, and the pants are shiny, and I'm guessing they are leather. I have seen a leather purse before and it was just as shiny.

The person standing behind the wheel giggles. "Come in dearie, don't be shy. You walked all the way into my home without invitation. What's stopping you now?"

I step inside and approach what I am thinking is a man. He has curly hair and his skin is a color I've never seen before. It's almost green. He is smiling at me, but it doesn't look like a nice smile.

"Are you the boogeyman?" I ask.

"Oooh! Very direct!" he lets out a laugh, "No, no, I am not, dear Emma"

"You know my name!"

"Yes!" he goes back to his spinning. "And, I also know you like to read stories. Now, let's play a little game. You like games, don't you?"

I nod, feeling brave. I come closer. There is a full moon out, and it makes his skin look like he just got out of a shower.

"Of course you do" he finally stops spinning and looks down at me as I come to his table. It is full of more weird bottles, and I reach to touch one, but a cold, wet hand slaps it away.

"No touching!" the weird man almost snarls at me, before bursting out in another giggle. "Now, let's play our game. I want you to guess what my name is. Now, you will only get one clue. Do you understand the rules?" I nod again.

"Finish my sentence" he says, he voice suddenly getting deeper, "Today I brew, tomorrow I bake; And then the prince child I will take! For no one knows my little game! And oh I am glad that no one knew that the name I am called is-" he stops and points to me.

"Rumpelstilskin?" he looks nothing like the Rumpelstilskin in my story book.

"Oh! So smart!" he waves both of his arms as he walks around the table, "So, so smart!"

He is so very tall. I can see now that his skin is in fact, greenish grey. He is also very thin, which makes his face remind me of a fox. Kneeling down, he is soon looking me directly in the eye.

"Are you afraid"

"No" I am being truthful when I say this.

"Do you think I'm going to eat you?"

"No. Rumpelstilskin looks like an old man with a long white beard" he laughs again while I talk, "And he steals babies, not eats them. You look nothing like him"

"How old are you, dearie?"

"I am six!" I say proudly.

"Oh! Such an old woman already aren't ya!" he giggles almost as much as the girls in my room, and soon, I begin giggling too.

"How did I get here?" I ask him.

"You needed a friend, didn't you?" Rumpelstilskin says, "And you're in luck! I am looking for a friend too!"

"I got no friends, and I don't need none!" I say to him, "Except Miss Jenna!"

"Is that why you cried?" he voice drops again. He is now right in my face. Before I know what's going on, he snatches me up close to him, his hands so tight that I cry out. "You know, princesses aren't suppose to cry!"

"You're mean!" with all my might, I kick him in the shin and he drops me.

"Such fire!" he says this, pointing in the air with such force that he is suddenly on his tippy toes. "Yes! Very good!"

"You're weird, mister"

"Now, that's not a nice thing to say to a friend" he frowns at me. He suddenly folds is hands in front of his stomach.

"You're not my friend!" He is weird, even if it is mean to say. One minute he is yelling and the next he is dancing.

"Oh no" he circles around me, "You asked for a friend, didn't you. I want to be your friend" he suddenly stops, and uses both hands to point two long fingers at me, "For something in return, of course"

"You don't buy friendship" I stick my chin up at in the air.

"Everything comes at a price, little dearie"

"Well I couldn't give you a baby" I say, "And, I don't have any nice jewelry to give you. But, you can take the boy who pushed me off the swing set"

He laughs his weird laugh again. "No, no, little Emma, I want something far more special" He gets down on one knee and is again, eye level with me. "Now, you are a smart girl, do know what a benefactor is?"

I shake my head. That is a word I don't know. Miss Jenna used to teach me big words before I left a few months ago with Miss Anna.

"It means you'll let me help you" Rumpelstilskin nearly whispers as he brushes a strand of my hair out of my eyes, "Little Emma, all alone. Its not your fault, really. What I want, is to be your helper. What I want is for you to be here, so you can become the princess you'll grow up to be. In return, you'll find your home"

He is looking at me so kindly. Most people look at me like I've done something wrong, or that they feel bad for me.

"So, do we have a…friendship?" Out of nowhere, he pulls a rose out from behind his back.

I gasp. It is so pretty! No ones ever given me a rose before! Smiling so much that it hurts, I take it from him and smell it. It smells as pretty as it looks.

"I thought so" this is the last thing I remember before I wake up.

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><p>"Wow, you're really into that book today aren't you!" Miss Jenna sits next to while I am eating lunch. "I knew you would like it as soon as I saw it!"<p>

"Miss Jenna, I had a dream a few nights ago about Rumpelstilskin!" I beam at her as I look up from the book. "Except he didn't look anything like in the other stories!"

"Oh wow!" she laughs with me, "Be careful not to make any deals with him or he's gonna getcha!"

An older lady calls to her, and she has to go before I can tell her more. Alone again, a girl tries to make fun of me for reading. I always read. I don't know why everyone else thinks it's funny. I am no longer sad about Miss Anna not coming back. I am reading my book with a new interest after my dream, and I am too busy to think about it. I can barely keep my eyes off it. Today, I don't have any school as I just came back this week. I have a few days to get settled in. That night, while everyone else is watching a movie in the big room, I am curled up in my bed with my book. I don't even remember falling asleep.

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><p>I am in the dark place again. Looking down, I am in white dress and heels. There is a big mirror in front of me again. Like my last dream, my hair is on top of my head with the tiara again. There is a full moon, and it reflects off the walls around me. I am not in the swamp this time. I am in a room. There is a click of behind me, followed by a giggle. With a huge smile on my face, I turn around and see my friend, also smiling.<p>

"Little dearie, are you ready to begin?"


	3. Chapter 3

She was out in the garden behind her large estate, picking apples off her tree. Even in her classy beige business suit, it seemed to suit her that she was actually outside picking the apples. Every strand of glossy, shoulder length black hair was in place, a small, tight scowl on her painted red lips. It was nearly seven am when the sun finally swept over the sleepy little town, but she had been out there for the last half an hour amongst her apple tree, her basket nearly full now. If anyone had ever stopped to notice, they would have known that she was out there everyday at the same time. But no one came near Regina Mills estate. No one, except Mr. Gold, and that was only for the deal they were currently negotiating.

But today was different. Today, her scowl was deeper than normal. Today, the clock on the main street had rung for the first time in nearly seventeen years. She had heard the mournful cry of the tower while she drank her morning caramel Apple Cider, spilling the contents over her once impeccable clean shoes. Yanking another apple angrily off its branch, she gritted her teeth, trying to figure out what was the cause of the clock suddenly coming to life. An idea flickered through her mind as she reached for another apple. This one did not want to come off its stem and with an exceptional tug, she was finally able to wrench it off the branch, morning dew spraying everywhere.

"Did that tree do something to offend you dear?" a Scottish accent cuts through her train of silence.

Regina had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed Mr. Gold stepping up next to her. He was dressed completely in black, a stark contrast to her beige outfit. Usually, she kept an eye on him, so he was never able to sneak up on her. This time, he had managed to visibly startle her, and as a result he was smirking at her. She shot him a glare that would've frightened a lesser man. Unfortunately for her, Mr. Gold was not only accustomed to her icy daggers, he also was one of the only people in town who wasn't afraid of her.

"What can I do for you today, Mr. Gold?" her voice was almost as icy as her appearance.

"Oh, was just on my way to collect rent, settle a few…arrangements" the way he emphasized the last word sent shivers up Regina's spine, but she managed to keep her outer appearance stoic.

"Yes, you're always so precise about who owes what" Regina now turned to face the man in front of her. He did nothing but smirk at her for a minute, which caused her frustration level to reach dangerous levels. "All right, you and I both know you don't make social calls. You and I also know that I don't consider patience to be a virtue, so will you get on with your point"

"Oh" he said mockingly, his free hand touching his heart as if he had stung her, "Can't an old friend pop in for a quick chat"

"Gold…" her voice had dropped into a warning tone.

"Alright, I see your in no mood for games" Mr. Gold couldn't help but chuckle, "I just came by to let you know that our little town as acquired a new visitor"

"Probably some tourist" Regina shrugged it off and turned back to her apple tree.

"I don't seem to recall us ever getting any tourists that often"

"So what's your point?" Regina turned back to face him, her expression angry. Mr. Gold's grin grew even wider as he noticed the note of panic in Regina's voice that she was so desperately trying to hide. "We get visitor's once in a while. Tourists. People who are lost most of the time"

"Just thought I'd let you know" Mr. Gold said evenly, "But I did not come here to jest. Rather, as you well noted, I only make calls when I am on business. As for our agreement that we've been discussing, I afraid I have some bad news. The paper work didn't go through"

"What!" the basket full of apples dropped to the ground as she spun around to look at him. "Again"

"I do apologize for that"

"But why!" this time, Regina's stoic expression crumbled slightly. Her pale skin was flushed with frustration, and her eyes were brimming with tears as her chewed on her lower lip.

"I don't know dear" Mr. Gold said, still remaining as calm and aloof as ever. "Now, if you'd like, we can go inside and discuss this like two reasonable people"

"Every time!" for the first time, there was a slight crack in the proud woman's voice. "It's my turn!" Her lips suddenly turned back up into a scowl. "You bastard! You have some involvement in this don't you! I know you! It's no accident that the paper work keeps getting denied each time!"

"I have no idea what you're implying" Mr. Gold said absentmindedly, circling the tree as he reached for an apple. He was in complete control of the situation, and Regina knew it, which only exasperated her temper. "But, if you want to come to a resolution as quickly as possible, I suggest you please regain a hold of yourself dear"

He was sure to add that word in as subtly as possible. No need to raise more alarm just yet. He saw her will power crumble, even if she didn't catch on just yet. Fortunately for him, subtly was a skill he had much practice in.

Regina was near tears at this point. This was such a rare sight indeed, and Mr. Gold wanted to be there to soak up every moment of it. Coming up to stand beside her, he place an arm on her shoulder, in a false show of empathy, and directed her towards her house.

No matter how much she would say otherwise, Regina was a lonely woman. The only things in this world that brought her joy were her apple tree of course…and ruling over Storybrooke with an iron fist. No one would come between her and her happy ending, she would make sure of it. Even if she had to kill.

Of course, Mr. Gold knew that. He couldn't help but smirk to himself. It took a lot of effort and patience to see a woman such as Mayor Mills come close to a breaking point, but after seeing it, he knew without a doubt that it was time worth spent.


	4. Chapter 4

Flashback

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><p>"There are many that deserve that name more than you, and I prefer you, just as you are, to those, who, under a human form, hide a treacherous, corrupt, and ungrateful heart."" Rumpelstilskin croons while stirring something in his huge black pot.<p>

Smirking, I look up from the spinning wheel. "Beauty and the Beast. Come on, give me something harder!"

"Oooh, anxious to move on, aren't we" he giggles, his trademark giggle as he eyed the girl in her white dress. She was almost the same age as his son the last time he'd seen her. "Tell you what, I'll give you something harder once you finally are able to spin gold"

"Tell you what" I said as I rose to my feet, careful not to trip over my dress. It is the same dress that I have been wearing for the last seven years. "I guess your next riddle, and I don't have to turn the straw into gold!"

"Giving up already little dearie!"

"I've been at this forever!" I moaned.

"Correction; you've been at it for two years" Rumpelstilskin points a finger at me before pointing back at himself, "I was at it for decades. Now don't tell me you really want to have this fight?"

"Oh come on!" I plead with him, coming directly to his side, frowning when he doesn't even flinch. The first few years I was here, he would become very uptight if I ever got to close to him. An idea pops in my head, and I smirk at him again. "You're just afraid I'll win"

This finally gets him to stop. I knew it! He can't resist a good challenge.

"Alright" he looks back at me, "You guess my riddle, and you don't have to worry about turning straw into gold. I win, and you go back to your seat and turn that straw into gold in the next hour!"

"Deal" I agree. I am ready for anything.

"Guess who I am" Rumpelstilskin pulls himself up straight, a serious look on his sharp, angular face, "And remember; only one clue" I nod, anxious for him to begin.

"If I get the heart and the liver of Gold-Tree, my daughter, to eat, I shall be well"

"Oh, that's the…wait, what?"

"A variation of Snow White's evil queen!" he crows, leaving me speechless. Before giving me a chance to respond, he has me by the arm and is dragging me back to the wheel.

"Oh come on! That's not fair!" I am furious as he guides me forcefully back to the spinning wheel.

"Fair?" he gives me a quizzical look before erupting into another fit of giggles, "When did I ever mention that? You were too quick to respond. You didn't stop to think of the consequences"

Standing in front of the wheel, I glare at the straw in my hand, willing it to turn to gold.

"Little dearie, threatening the thread won't do you any good"

"How does straw just poof into gold!" I grimace, becoming frustrated. It's been a while since I've had a new lesson. "Well, what worked for you? How did it all come to you?"

"Ah! Now, you are asking the right questions!" he is now so close that our faces are almost touching. With a side step he is behind me, wrapping a hand around my waist, pulling my back up straight against his chest. With his free hand, he closes it over my own that holds the thread. "Close your eyes"

Since my very first night here, he has never been so close to me. Heart thumping loudly, I do as he says. I feel him guide my hand and place the thread, ready for spinning.

"Don't be afraid to feel your emotions. You are more magical than you know. Never doubt that" I can feel hot breath down my neck.

Shivering, I use my free hand to begin turning the wheel, the slight creaking calming me down. Small giggles keep erupting from me.

"Open your eyes, but don't let go of your feelings"

Eyes flying open, I gasp as the straw comes out gold! Laughing so hard that I tear up, Rumpelstilskin backs away from me, yet the straw continues to come out gold. Grinning ear to ear, I turn towards him.

"Now" he says in a very matter of fact way, "You are ready to move on"

I scowl as the bell rings. I am in a new school, again. In a new home. Again! This is the second home in the last three years. I am lost and I don't know which way my class is and no one stops to help me. The minute I arrived hear, it was mentioned that I was an orphan, and I've had to endure snickering and whispers behind my back. Tugging my back pack up higher, I trudge through Bronx Haven High School. My new 'family', had insisted I move with them to New York, out of Massachusetts. Whatever. The only thing I miss about Massachusetts anyways is Miss Jenna. Although I'm not quite fourteen, I placed high enough to be admitted early entrance to High School. Rubbing my eyes, I frown again, realizing its been a week since my last dream. I miss my nightly escapes from this world more than I had thought I would.

"Maybe you've been reading too many stories before going to bed?" Miss Jenna had said when I told her my dream about the same man. "Or, maybe it's someone from another life trying to talk to you"

"You believe that stuff?" I had asked her. Despite the seven year age difference, she talks to me like a friend.

"Oh, of course I do" she had told me, smiling a conspiratorial smile, "Mom used to get mad when I read stuff like that at your age. Now, I just let her ramble on"

'Poor Miss Jenna' I mused to myself. I later found out her mother was actually one the managers for the Orphanage, which is where she basically grew up.

Turning down another hallway, I snap back to the present. Yanking out my new schedule, I fumbled through it, trying to find the class I am suppose to be in. As I am walking, I notice a boy standing against the wall not to far up ahead. He can only be described as large. Over six feet tall and visible muscles all over his body, he looks like a quarterback for a football team. As I pass by him, he sneers down at me. Rolling my eyes, I ignore him.

"Hey, orphan!" he calls out to me, "Is it true that your parents thought you were so ugly that they dumped you on the side of the road?"

Insides running hot and cold at the same time, I drop everything in my hands and lunge for the giant. The next thing I know, three security members tear me off the boy, his face now unrecognizable. My left sneaker is covered in blood. I have stomped his face nearly flat. Mouth burning, I lick my lips, realizing its bleeding. For the first time, I feel handcuffs slapped around my wrists as I am taken off the school property in front of everyone.

Less then two days later, my foster family phones the orphanage, demanding they come and get me. I'm too much of a 'problem child'. I don't cry this time. I new it was bound to happen sometime anyways. I can't stop chewing on my bottom lip. It was cut pretty bad by a ring on the boy's hand. The only good thing about this is Miss Jenna, just recently promoted to an actual job at the Orphanage, has offered to fly down and get me. I am told by a security officer that if she hadn't, I would've been put in jail. Apparently, the owner of the Orphanage had refused to get me.

"Emma, really?" Miss Jenna frowns at me as we wait in the lobby for our plane. I don't say anything. "Do you know the strings I had to pull to come get you! You are so lucky they didn't take you to Juvenile Hall!"

"That boy said I was dumped on the side of the road" I look up at her. Her eyes suddenly widen in shock. "Is it true?"

"No, of course not-"

"Your lying!" My voice comes out harsher than I intend it too. "I can always tell when someone is lying"

"Emma, listen to me" Miss Jenna tries to take my hand. I yank it away from her.

I turn away, and she is silent. Thankfully so. There is a dull ache in my heart as the boy's words keep echoing in my ears. 'Dumped on the side of the road'. In a haze, I allow Miss Jenna to guide me onto the airplane. There a metallic taste on my tongue. I have chewed through the scab on my lip again. I am exhausted. I have not slept in nearly two days. As the plane takes, I fall into a deep sleep.

"Back already, little dearie" I hear a familiar giggle behind me.

I am back in my dreams, in front of the mirror in the dark room. I am trying not to cry and my mouth is throbbing painfully. Looking up into the mirror, I have gotten blood down the front of my white dress. Feeling ashamed, I reluctantly turn to face him. I am a mess. Blonde hair is tumbling down my face, lip bleeding everywhere, and my face no doubt puffy and red from trying to suppress my tears. He pulls away from me slightly, examining me.

"Well, that's a bit of a let down" he waves a finger in my face, "I expected to see a princess, not someone who looked like they fell off a horse!"

"Don't make fun of me!" I am now sobbing, "I am tired of people making fun of me! I am tired of being alone!"

"Get used to it little dearie!" he voice drops again. Only when his voice drops do I know he's being completely serious. He comes closer to me, his face twisted in a snarl. "You are different. You see things so much clearer than the pitiful sheep. And your…association with me has made you quite strong. You nearly tore that boy limb from limb!"

"That's stupid!" I cry, "And this isn't real! This is just some stupid dream and I am sick of it! This is just a dream!"

"Dream?" I am startled by how close he is too me. Backed up against the wall, I feel his hot breath on my neck again. He is stares at my bloody lips before looking back up at me. "Are you so certain of that?"

"Yes" I croak, screwing my eyes, hoping I'll wake up soon.

My heart is thumping wildly and it takes all of my might not to shove him off me. The last time I was cornered, the father of the family I had been staying with had slapped me so hard that my head had collided with a wall. I had needed six stitches for that. Rumpelstilskin can see my fear, and his eyes widen in something that resembles glee. I'm expecting him to slap me. He never has before, but he certainly looked mad enough too. Closing my eyes even tighter, I turn away and steady myself.

To my surprise, I feel soft lips pressed against mine.

"Emma! Emma wake up!" I am being forcefully shaken. Jerking to life, I look around me. I am still on the plane. I look up to see Miss Jenna hovering over me. "Come on. We've just landed"

I nod at her, climbing to unsteady feet. Head hurting from the sudden rush of light, I grab my jacket, running my tongue across my lips-

-freezing when I feel my now completely healed bottom lip.


	5. Chapter 5

I came to with a start the next morning, wincing as the sun light peeps through the drapes. Dragging myself out of the comfortable bed, I go to move the drapes. The town looks completely different in the daylight. No longer was it bleak and life less, but there were people out and about everywhere. There was even a sheriff's car patrolling the little street below me. The time on the clock now reads that it's a little after eight. I had heard the tower go off earlier, but I had refused to leave my bed. After I leave here, I'm not sure when I'll have the luxury of having a bed again, and I intend to soak up as much time in it as I can now.

Deciding to head out and explore 'Storybrooke', I head for the little shower, my arm wincing slightly as I pull the shirt over my head. In the reflection of the bathroom mirror, I stare at bruises that line my upper arm. The three imprints of purple-yellow finger imprints serve as an angry reminder for my journey. Determined not to cry again, I push forward with my shower and continued getting ready for the day. Despite the obvious heat outside, I pull on a long sleeved shirt. It doesn't go all the way to my wrists, only past my elbows. This way, I can hide my bruises.

I head down to the lobby. None of the other people have exited their rooms yet. I have absolutely no idea where to even begin exploring. As I come down the stairs, I end up bumping into the girl with the red highlights. Today, she has on a little white apron, with a pair of mini shorts that are almost offensively bright red. She even has a little red shirt on. She gives a bleary-eyed nod at first, but stops when she sees my lost expression.

"Oh, hi" she says, the make-up unable to hide the puffiness around her eyes. She must've just gotten in a few hours ago. "Was there something you were looking for?"

"Um yeah" I give her one of my favorite tight lipped smiles, "Did you know of any good places to eat, maybe look around?"

"Sure thing hun" she says, giving me large smile, her white teeth showing between her ruby red lips, "I also work at Granny's diner. Were famous for our coffee, so you should come by and see it. It's just up near the town center. You know, near the giant clock"

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea"

"Other than that, there's really nothing cool to see around here"

"Okay. Well, I just, I just like looking around" I really hadn't been expecting that much information. My awkwardness is really beginning to show through and I'm hoping this doesn't go on for to much longer.

"Well, if you need anything else, just find me" she puts a hand on my shoulder, "And my name's Ruby, so just ask for me"

'How appropriate' I think to myself. With a quick wave, Ruby is out the door. Following her outside, I notice she even has a red car.

'This place is really weird' I think to myself.

I walked down the main street, and I couldn't help but think it odd that no matter how many streets I turned, I always seemed to end up by the town square. Stomach growling, I began my search for Granny's diner. One thing was for sure; if I was to get any serious planning done, I needed a coffee, and fast.

"Hey there!" a familiar voice calls out to me.

I turn around and it is the same man who had given me directions the night before. Walking his dog with the same umbrella again. I can't help but smirk a little.

"Hi" I say with a quick wave. I'm hoping this won't take too long. I don't really do well in social interactions, as Ruby probably noticed.

"Did you find everything ok?" he asks, standing a little to close into my personal space. The dog has now begun to sniff my leg, obviously more interested than he was the night before.

"Oh, yeah, thank you Mr.."

"Oh, how rude of me. It's Dr. Hopper" he says, standing a few inches taller "Or, just Archie Hopper"

For some reason, I can't help but get the mental image of a grasshopper in my head.

"I'm Jenna" I say quietly, "And, um, it's nice to meet you, and thanks again for the directions. Speaking of which, do you think you can help me with some more?"

"Oh sure, always a pleasure to help" Archie smiled again as he played with his jacket nervously, "You know, it's my job to help people! I've always had a fascination with helping others. I feel like, you know, I'm being the guiding light in lives" he pauses for a minute, his face crinkling slightly at what he had just said. "Wow, that sounds like something you'd read off a greeting card doesn't it"

"Oh, nice" I give him another tight lipped smile, not so sure where all this was going. One minute I was asking for directions, and before I knew it, he had gone off on some weird tangent. "Yes! You needed directions! Where are you headed?" the good doctor regains a hold of himself with a start.

"Granny's"

"Yes, just right down the street and make a right at the first light Can't miss it!"

"Well, thanks again, Mr. Hopper" I say with a quick shrug.

He quickly excuses himself, pulling away the Dalmatian, which apparently hadn't left my side once, and now, doesn't seem to want to. Instead, the dog, Pongo, now has his ears perked up and is staring up intently at me. Well, at least as intently as a dog can stare. With a quick nod, I quickly turn ahead and continue my little journey to find Granny's. Dr. Hopper is finally able to get the dog motivated to continue with the walk.

Looking around while walking, I notice that almost every corner looks exactly same and has almost a depressed air to it. Most of the buildings, like Granny's little motel, haven't been kept in tip top shape. And, from the looks of other pedestrians, almost no one is happy either. Frowning slightly, I can almost see why Ruby said there wasn't anything around to see. Passing by a small mechanic's shop, I catch a small sign out of the corner of my eye. Frown intensifying, I move closer to investigate.

It's a pawnshop. Looking around, I notice that it managed to be off away from the rest of the buildings. The lights are off and the room is dark. I notice that suddenly, no one else is on the sidewalk. There aren't even any cars. A strange feeling starts in my chest and sinks all the way to my lower belly. But I can't turn away. Morbid curiosity is stronger than I am. Getting close, I still can't see anything. The owner actually went through the trouble to put tinted windows up. Licking my lips, I press myself against the glass, hands cupped around my face to get a better view-

-finding two pairs of yellow eyes staring back at me.

"Oh!" I lurch backwards, nearly spilling myself into the street.

Heart pounding frantically, I don't even wait for someone to open the door. Turning on my heels I take off running so fast that I would've put the Road Runner to shame. I run as fast as I can until I get close to the main street again. I hadn't even realized I'd taken a wrong turn. Hands on my knees, I stop to catch my breath for a moment. It's few minutes, before I can walk again, still feeling a little shaky. Walking for a few more minutes, I am standing in front of my original destination. Still feeling paranoid, I take a quick glance behind me to make sure I wasn't followed.

Standing in front of Granny's Diner, I pull out my wallet, only hesitating slightly when my fingers fumble across the credit card and ID. No matter. I have been very careful and will continue to be so. Swallowing, I muster up my courage and enter the diner. Its nearly empty, except for an older man in a dumpy gray jacket and grey pants sitting up at the bar and a couple in one of the booths. Scanning over his jacket, I see the name 'Leroy', and I figure he's in one of his work jackets. Standing the front of the bar, I skim over the menu briefly. From behind the counter, there is the small chime of bell, and I smile slightly as it is Granny who comes out.

"Hi there, I see you're feeling a little better" she smiles back at me, vigorously cleaning a glass in her hand.

I nod slightly. "Yeah, just needed some sleep. Uh, may I just have a coffee, and uh," I breeze over the menu one more time, "An egg sandwich please"

"Just a moment" she chirps and turns back around to give the order to an unseen cook.

There is a strange odor in the area, and I can't quite pin down where it's coming from. I skim over the little diner, and I can't help but notice the man chewing as loudly as he can next to me. Turning slightly towards him, I see him lift a glass, drinking it one big slurp, and slamming it down the counter next to another glass. The unfavorable odor twitches my nose, and I realize it is coming from the man sitting next to me; he reeks of alcohol, a mixture of sweat and alcohol, like its seeping from his pores.

"What are you looking at sister?" A gruff voice cuts through my train of though.

I then notice that I had been staring at him, something I hadn't meant to do. He has on a beanie hat with a scraggly dark brown beard, and the biggest scowl I have ever seen before.

"Nothing" I say quickly. Much too quickly.

"Then I suggest you look at 'nothing' somewhere else" His eyes are a mixture of bloodshot red and yellow.

I turn back in my seat. He snorts and continues with his breakfast. The bell to the diner chimes behind me, but before I can turn around, Granny comes back into view with my order. She sets in down in front of me with my coffee, and then pulls out a Styrofoam cup that's almost spilling over with whipped cream.

"Leroy, how are you?" a soft voice is now next to me.

I turn in my seat to see a woman in a purple dress and pink overcoat standing next to me. She has blue black hair and a very kind face. She gives me a soft smile. Nodding back, I turn my attention back to my food.

Leroy grunts in response before demanding that Granny bring him another drink. Granny gives him a disapproving look before looking back to the woman next to me, and her the cup.

"How are you today Mary Margaret?"


	6. Chapter 6

Flashback

* * *

><p>"Little dearie, is something eating at you" Rumpelstiltskin says his voice full of amusement, as he comes to my side, "Is there something you need to…Get. Off. Your. Chest"<p>

"I wish I could do more" I am glaring at the bottle in my hands. For the last week, I have been trying to learn a new skill; bottling magic. Unfortunately, with my mood, the magic isn't reacting the right way, and twice, I've had several minor explosions, further damaging my white dress. Now, along with the faded bloodstain, there are several burn marks on the sides.

"More what?" he comes up behind me again and guides me through the activity. Instantly, I feel calmer.

"I wish I could…I don't know, protect younger kids" the magic is now falling into the bottles easily and he backs up, allowing me to do it on my own. "I hate to see them picked on in my 'home'. No one else does anything to stop it"

"Ah!" he points a finger in the air before pointing at me again, "You want more power"

"No" I point out, becoming annoyed with his theatrics, "I want to do good. I want to help-"

"Yes, yes!" he cuts me off sharply, "Now how do you think you'll do that?"

"I, I don't know" I stutter.

"You need power"

"How do I get power?"

"It's simple" his voice comes out in a sharp hiss, "You need to take it"

"How?"

His grin is almost scary. "Make them afraid. When the people are afraid of you, you can get them to do anything you want"

* * *

><p>I have been given a 'job', here at the Orphanage. At sixteen, it is unlikely that they'll try to put me in a foster home again, so I now have to earn my keep. It's alright, I'm doing the same job as Miss Jenna did when she was my age. I am helping new children adjust from leaving a foster home. I am also a patrol. I don't know why I have this title. All I really do is walk around. My mood has turned very sour as of late. Most of the adults here have neglected most of the new children. The older children have been having a field day taking advantage of the situation. Turning a corner, there is some faint laughing, followed by a cry.<p>

"Stupid baby" two girls about my age have cornered one of the new children, a little boy barely over five. Curled up in a corner, his face is bright red and one of the girls steps back to kick him.

"Hey!" I stomp down the hallway towards them. Both girls stop and turn towards me. Seeing his chance, the little boy makes a dash for it.

"Hey!" one of the girls screams back at me, the other one close behind her.

"You just ruined our game!" the other girl moves to my side, and I can feel my body tense. I am not afraid.

"That little shit stole from my room" the first girl glares me down. She has short, silky black hair, dark skin and hazel eyes. "We were teaching him a lesson"

"You're lying" I don't even flinch.

The other girl with curly brown hair is giggling, her fists clenching and unclenching by her sides. I can see them in slow motion as they both come at me all at once. The first girl lunges at me. The second girl swings a fist. Catching the second girl's fist, I turn around and with a kick in the chest, I send the first girl flying down the hallway. The second girl freezes, brown eyes wide in shock. With my free hand suddenly wrapped around her throat, I pin her to a wall.

"So, you think its funny to kick babies do ya?" I sneer at her. I barely even recognize my own voice. Her hands fly to my wrist and she makes a gagging noise.

I don't even realize that my hand is squeezing tightly around her neck until a pair of hands throw me off her. Three adults, alerted by the first girl's cry have come rushing into the hallway. Two grab my arms and drag me roughly into a small room and toss me in.

"Emma, what the hell is wrong with you?" Miss Jenna is furious with me when she comes into the room. I have been locked in here for the entire day, curled up in a corner

"They were kicking that child" I say, not at all remorseful.

"Yes" Miss Jenna says, "And they said you looked like you were going to kill Angela! And did you know that you sprained Jessica's ankle when you kicked her across the room? This is the second fight this month! You can't keep doing this Emma! My mother almost threw out today! I can't keep pulling strings for you if you're not even willing to listen!"

I say nothing. Still in my corner, I turn away from her.

Kneeling next to me, Miss Jenna is now eye level with me. "Who are you Emma?"

"Someone's got to stand up for those children" I mutter, "And every fucking adult here has made it clear that unless they're getting paid, they don't give a shit"

"I give a shit!" this surprises me. Miss Jenna never curses. "What happened to the sweet Emma I know. The one who reads stories? I thought you wanted to be good"

"I have been protecting the kids!" I snarl, "Isn't that good?"

"Not in this way!" Miss Jenna says incredulously, "Using force doesn't work! Remember, those children you beat up are in the same boat as you are! Take that into consideration next time you want to kick someone!"

"Using force always works" I say, lip curling in a sneer, "Using fear works. Good doesn't win without it"

"Who told you that!" Miss Jenna suddenly jumps to her feet. I turn away from her. Eyes narrowing, Miss Jenna is back at my side. "Its those dreams again aren't they?"

When I say nothing, she continues on. "Emma, you are too old to be listening to an imaginary friend! I know you love stories, but don't let them control you!" When I don't look at her, she grasps the sides of my face and turns my head towards her. Tearful, brown eyes staring straight in my eyes, she continues on through clenched teeth, "Good. Always. Wins! Good wins with the right way!"

I search her face, trying to find a lie. When none comes up, I allow myself to relax.

"Why do you care so much?" I ask her. I have been meaning to ask for years. "You're the only one. You've always been there for me. You've always been my friend"

Grinning, Miss Jenna wipes away her tears, her eyes now sparkling. "Well, everyone needs a fairy godmother, don't they?"

"Thought I was too old for imaginary friends" I laugh.

"Yes, but I'm not imaginary" Miss Jenna laughs with me. Her voice drops into a whisper, growing serious again. "Promise me; no more fighting"

The room is very tense for a minute. Nodding, I see her face smile in relief as I allow her to pull me into a fierce hug.

"Keep your eyes peeled for the next two weeks" Miss Jenna whispers into my ear, "You're finally old enough to learn where you come from. I shall bring you a box with some old clippings of you in it"

"Tell me now!"

"No" she says softly, "Just wait. You'll find your answers. And I will help you. Just wait"

* * *

><p>"You're awfully quiet today, little dearie" Rumpelstiltskin is not smiling when he approaches me. I have been organizing the potion jars for awhile now. "Was there another fight?"<p>

"Yes" I say flatly.

"Oooh, not a scratch on you this time!" he bursts out in one of his giggles, "Did you win?"

"When don't I win?" I say snidely.

"Ah, so true. So, so true" he is waving his arms around again, "And the poor child was saved again. You are becoming quite the hero"

"Am I?" I turn around towards him, "Miss Jenna doesn't seem to think so. She says all the children I beat up are all alone like me"

"Well, what does she expect you to do?" he lets out an insane giggle, "Oh, I know! Next time, trying talking to them while they are beating a defenseless child. Tell me how that works out"

I grab a potion bottle off the counter. I had helped to create it. After another year of practicing turning straw into gold, he let me help with making magic. The riddles became harder, so hard that once I finally mastered them, I had my normal school work down to a science. I was nearly two full years ahead of the kids my age when it came to academics.

"What is this for?" I shove the bottle at him. He is now silent and still. "Why did you want me to create this, huh? You never told me that! You just said I could create powerful magic!"

"And that you can" he agrees with me.

"But what for! Why am I here"

"Because you asked" he answers, "You asked for a friend. And here I am"

"No" I glare at him, "Everything comes at a price! You said that yourself! What is the real reason you brought me here? Is it to help you create magic to trick people!"

"I have never tricked anyone!" he remains calm the entire time, maddeningly so, "I present deals, and it is not my problem if they don't understand, or don't take the time to"

"Deals? What kind of deals do you make? Do you visit other people too?"

"None of your concern" he says, somehow becoming even more serious "What's my business is my own"

"And what would prompt you to make a deal with a child anyways? What are you getting out of this?"

"Me?" he puts a hand on his chest with a mock expression of surprise, "I have taught you to spin straw into gold! I found you had a knack for reading people and now, no one can lie to you. I have given you lessons that have made you far above the others in both strength and intelligence" he points back at me, nearly snarling, "Rather, little dearie, what is it that you are getting out of this?"

"I'm always here in this princess dress! I am always here! What for? What is the point? Why are you teaching me this stuff?"

"Sounds like someone's becoming ungrateful with my gifts" Rumpelstiltskin's voice has now become mocking, "You really ought to be more careful"

"I'm done" I say. I hold my chin up. "I am too old for an imaginary friend. I am too old to be having this dream. And, I'm too old to be listening to a crazy old goblin"

I expected him to be angry, but instead, he is smiling like a leprechaun who just found a pot of gold. Feeling nervous, I walk past him, kicking off the stupid heels and sending the tiara flying. Hair in my face, I don't look back.

* * *

><p>Car keys twirling in her hand, Jenna May looked like any young woman heading home from a long day of work. With light brown hair and soft features, she always seemed to have that smile that made even the coldest hearts melt. She had been searching for weeks for the hidden information regarding the little princess, and had deposited the box on her bed for her to find. Tomorrow, she would explain everything. Something rustled behind her, startling her. Pulling her jacket closer to her body, Jenna nearly burst into a sprint, desperate to get to her car.<p>

Lip curling in a disgusted sneer, he watched her walk. For two weeks, he had been watching her, waiting for a chance to have her separated from the others. He knew what she really was. And he despised her and her kind.

'Fairies' he thought with a snort, 'Godmothers trying to help people not face reality. Nothing but meddlesome, disgusting creatures'

Too many times they have interfered with his plans. He could take no chances with his precious tool this time. Not that he particularly needed an excuse to remove a fairy dumb enough to step away from the rest.

Turning a corner to head towards her car, Jenna was stopped by a loud click behind her. There is sharp tap against the sidewalk, and before she can even register what's happening, she felt the cold metal pressed to back of head.

"Turn around" a deep, Scottish accent orders her.

She swallows, her mouth suddenly dry. Turning around, heart in her throat, she stares at the middle aged man who is now smirking at her. He has on a black suit and tie and appears to be leaning on a heavy looking cane. There is a gun that is placed in the center of her forehead. His sharp features are distinctive, even in this world.

"So, it really is you, isn't it?" she says accusingly. He doesn't even grace her with a response before pulling the trigger.

Rumpelstiltskin, or Mr. Gold as he was known in this world, watched the young woman crumple to his feet, a big gaping hole in her face. He smiled to himself as he wiped her blood off of his face. The little princesses' only life line to this world had been shattered, and now she would return to him. All he had to do was wait.

* * *

><p>Numb. That is the only thing that registers to me. Last night, I had found a box on my bed. In it was a newspaper. It was the newspaper that said I was found on the road by a seven year old boy, stating is was issued in Maine. From there, I was taken to a nearby hospital. If I were to ever search for relatives, obviously Maine would be my first start. There are a couple of other newspapers about my early childhood before I came to this place. They all point to Maine, again. One has a picture of a strange looking town, but there is no name on it. The name on the newspaper reads, 'The Daily Mirror'.<p>

Last night I had been giddy with this new revelation. Today, I feel nothing. When I arrived for my patrol shift at 7:15am, I was informed that Miss Jenna had been murdered. My only friend, gone forever. I feel nothing. I cannot cry. There is nothing left in me to cry. The Orphanage manager, has told me I need to leave. A police officer has offered to take me in, despite knowing my records. Sitting in the waiting room next to my suitcase, I clutch my baby blanket in one hand, and the book from Miss Jenna. This is all I have left.

I sit in the lobby, and soon, a large police officer swaggers in. Despite this, he has a very kind face. The receptionist in the lobby hands him a file and points. Looking over at me, he boldly approaches. I don't care. He sits down next to me without offering.

"You must be Emma" he says, "I'm very sorry, I heard that the lady who was killed here was your friend." I now look up at him, comforted in the fact that there was a kind voice next to me again.

"I promise, I am not here to hurt you" he says with a soft smile-

-as a cold feeling starts at my toes and creeps up all the way up my body as I catch the lie in his face.


	7. Chapter 7

"You must be the new person in town?"

I turn to the woman, Mary Margaret. She is still next to me, a friendly smile on her face.

"Uh, just got in last night?"

"People hardly every come here" she says, her smile disarmingly sweet, "So, word travels quickly. I bumped into Ruby last night, and she mentioned last night that someone had stopped by the inn"

"Yeah, here for a week"

"I'm Mary Margaret. what's your name?"

"Uh, Jenna" I say clumsily as she somehow manages to get even closer to me.

"So, what made you pick Storybrooke? How did you hear about us?"

"I was just passing by and needed a place to stay for a few days"

"Where are you going?" the woman is persistent, and I can't help but begin to feel annoyed. This is the most anyone's tried talking to me since…well, a while now. Most people leave after a few attempts.

"Well, I'm coming from Boston, and was thinking about driving to Arizona"

"Oh my goodness!" Mary Margaret's eyes widen, 'That's, that's quite a way to go!"

"Yep" I nod at her.

"That's so cool!" she says happily. She really isn't going to give up trying to start a conversation. "I've never left Storybrooke!"

I had been hoping she'd eventually go away, and the thought suddenly saddens me. She has an unbelievably kind face, and it's hard to harden my heart. I then notice she's tugging on my shirt, noticing the small tear on the side.

"There's holes all over your shirt! And your jeans! There full of holes! There spots that have been bleached too!"

I feel like I'm being scolded by my mother. "Yep" I say, sticking to my sparkling vocabulary, "Whenever I get a decent paycheck, I'll replace these"

"Are all of your clothes like this?" she is looking at me with such an intense look that I can't bring myself to lie to her.

I give her a shrug. "Look, it's not that big of deal, I mean, the holes aren't noticeable until you point them out-'

"Oh, no, no, NO! Absolutely not!" this not only got my attention, but also Granny's, and surprisingly, Leroy's. "Get up! You're coming home with me!"

"Excuse me!" I snap at her.

"Listen, you look about my size, and I have some extra clothes I've been meaning to get rid of anyways! Come on! You can't go around like that!"

"Listen lady, I am not some charity case!" my face is beat red and I can feel myself growing angry. Leroy makes a noise that sounds a cross between a grunt and a chuckle.

"Oh! No, no, that is not what I meant!" Mary Margaret puts a hand on her chest and gives a small laugh, "Listen, I'm a teacher, so don't mind me. Just don't think you should have to walk around in torn clothes, and I have extra clothes that need a home"

Granny gives a smile from the counter. I am starting to feel as if there's a practical joke going on, and I'm just not picking up on it. My heart is racing in my chest, and she's obviously waiting for a response. I don't give her one, so she continues on.

"I'm not taking no for an answer" her smile seems sincere, and once again, I can't help but not like her. Her hand darts into her purse and she pulls out a pen and paper and begins scribbling furiously before handing it off to me. "Here's my address. Tomorrow is Thursday and is early release day, so, I will be home before two. Stop by if you want"

There is another cling of the diner bell.

"How do you think you did?" Granny says over the counter to the new person. I'm afraid to look behind me, lest it start a whole new round of questions.

"Starting tomorrow, I will be officially appointed Sheriff" a soft Irish accent replied.

Mary Margaret now turns away from me. "Congratulations Graham!"

I turn around to see a tall man with a lean build behind me. He has on a black jacket and a pair of jeans and sneakers. He has curly brown hair and brown eyes. Also, like Mary Margaret, he had a very kind face. He is also very good looking. Looking up at me, he smiled. Face burning, I nodded and turned back around in my seat.

"Are you the new person in town?" the man, Graham I guess, suddenly appears at my side, "I was talking to Dr. Hopper and he said we had a newcomer"

'Jeez, just put it on a newspaper already' I think to myself. As if hearing my thoughts, Leroy snorts again.

"Yes" I say. Graham is now dangerously close to me, and I begin to feel over crowded. "Just making a pit stop"

"We were just talking about her trip here" Mary Margaret is again at my side.

"Well, I hope you have a good stay" he gives me a soft smile, "Storybrooke is a quiet little town, but its full of good people"

After a few more pleasantries, Graham turns to leave, but not without a quick wave at me. Soon, Mary Margaret decides to leave to him. Pushing the paper with her address at me, him waves.

"Honey! You've barely touched your food!" Granny is now glowering at me.

I give her a nod and beginning picking at my now cold sandwich. Looking pleased with herself, she beams at me and turns to attend another customer. Leroy has begun a new round of snickering.

"_Shut up_!" I hiss at him, feeling childish.

* * *

><p>Hands shaking, I nervously walk over to Mary Margaret's apartment the next day. It wasn't hard to find, and Granny had given me directions. Had even ordered me to go, or else she would up my room charge. Ruby had giggled at this. Face flushing from the memory, I made sure to go through my suitcase to make sure nothing had any rip or tear in it. I stifle a yawn. I hadn't slept much the night before. Too many nightmares. Knocking on Mary Margaret's apartment door, I silently prayed she wasn't there. No such luck.<p>

"Oh good!" came the happy chirp as the door opened. "Come on in!"

"I'm fine really" I give her a small smile as she brings out a bag of what I'm assuming to be clothes. "Why are you doing this? I'm a complete stranger"

"You look like you need to talk" she says kindly as she gently pushed me towards the bag, "I'm a teacher. I know these things"

"I'm fine" I tell her again. "Just can't afford nice clothes while moving"

"I understand" she nods and turns back to her kitchen.

I take a minute to scan the place. It's very cozy with a lot of bright colors. Gingerly, I begin poking through the bag of clothes. Why not, I'll probably need them if I ever hope to find a decent job in Arizona. In a few minutes, Mary Margaret is back with a plate full of cookies and sets them down. I find myself relaxing in her company as she makes some clothing suggests for me. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I feel like I'm…home. Time passes pleasantly for a little while longer when abruptly, there is a knock on the door, making the both of us jump. Brushing her skirt, Mary Margaret grabs her purse and heads towards the door.

"Good evening Miss Blanchard" it's the same voice of the man who collected rent from Granny the other night.

Mary Margaret has an envelope in her hand and I make my way towards the door, curiosity again taking over. Today, he is dressed in an all black, very expensive looking suit, but with a blue tie. He sees me and he smiles. Its not a real smile, and I shiver, immediately on alert as his eyes flick to Mary Margaret, back to me, and back to Mary Margaret again. Hand outstretched with the envelope he takes it from her before turning back to me.

"Well if it isn't our visitor, Miss Jenna" he finally says, his Scottish accent more pronounced then it was the night before. "I'm Mr. Gold. You might not remember, but we met briefly the other night-"

"I remember" I cut him off.

He smiles again, this time, a real one. In the light, he looks almost kind "Good. Have you decided how long you will be with us?"

"A week" I say, my posture going ridged.

"Of course you will be" he curls his lip when he says this, almost sneering at me.

His eyes flicker between me and Mary Margaret again before he turns and leaves. Feeling awkward for the rest of the time, I excuse myself soon after from Mary Margaret's, but only after I promise to meet her after her classes end for dinner so she can drop off the bag of clothes. Before I leave, I stop in the restroom, and I frown as I see the roots of my hair. It's only been two weeks and you can already see the blonde coming in the black dye.

As I walk out the door, Mary Margaret quickly hands me a newspaper, the classified section highlight.

"In case you decide to stay a little bit longer with us" she says with another smile when she sees my dumbfounded face.

'Why the hell is this town so friendly?' I think to myself as I fumble through the classified add. Thinking about how much my savings has shrunk in the last two weeks, I entertain the idea of actually staying here for a bit longer then intended to.

It's starting to get dark out. I walk into the nearby convenience store, and the first thing I hear is a loud sneeze. The man at the register is now furiously blowing his nose. He looks up and tries to smile, but it comes out as more of grimace as he sneezes again. I make my way to the back of the store and grab some more black hair dye, and a small bottle of whiskey, to help me sleep.

There are a few customers in front of me, so shuffling the dye and whiskey in one hand, I look through the classified magazine with a pen I grabbed off the counter and search the 'Help Wanted' section. One in particular catches my eye and I circle it a few times so I don't forget it's place as I make my way to the register.

"Got your ID there Miss…" the clerk, whose name tag reads Mr. Clark, asks.

"Yes!" I say as I fumble for my wallet, frowning again as I notice again how much my savings have dwindled, "And I'm Jenna"

He looks at my ID for second and then back at me. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two" I don't miss a beat.

"Twenty-two" comes a voice behind me, and I jump, dropping the paper in my hand. I turn around to find none other than Mr. Gold behind me. "A tender age for a little white dove whose just stretching her wings. Such a complicated time"

"Um, it's no big deal" I stutter, getting the strong urge to run.

I hadn't heard him even come up. Brow furrowing, I try to figure this out, noting the cane and how heavy it looks. Remembering my dropped newspaper, I sink to the floor and grab it.

"Thinking of staying, are we?" he gives me another grin. He's obviously seen that I have the 'Help Wanted' section. "But you've only just arrived"

Once again, I don't know how to respond to this comment. Mr. Gold is smirking at me, and I don't like it. Mr. Clark rings me up, and I quickly reach out to collect my bag. I turn excuse myself, but I am stopped as Mr. Gold puts a hand on my arm.

"Miss Black, if you have but a moment of your time, there's something I'd like to discuss with you"

"What?" I say flatly as he dumps some cloth, a roll of yarn, and thread onto the counter. He then follows me outside. I am tired, and wondering why I ended up bumping into him twice in a two hour time frame.

"I just couldn't help but notice you circled a few things on the help wanted list" Mr. Gold said as he began to limp down the sidewalk next to me, "Tell me, what has caught your eye?"

I hear the heavy clicking of the cane next to me, which only makes me more aggravated. How did he manage to sneak up on me twice?

"Nothing really. Maybe I just want some extra cash" I have no idea where this is going. It's suddenly chilly outside, and I shiver.

"Is that so" he stops and turns to face me. "I own the pawnshop not far from here. Are you familiar with it yet?"

That creepy pawnshop with those yellow eyes in the mirror belongs to him? Somehow, I'm not surprised by this.

"I passed by it" I try and keep my tone as neutral as possible to hide how nervous I am.

"I'm sure you did" I can't help but notice that his whole body seems to move when he talks. Every word is accented by his posture.

"What's your point?"

"Mmm, very direct, aren't you?" he narrows his eyes, "How charming. If you need assistance in your job search, stop by the shop and let me know what in the ad caught your eye"

"What!" I blurt this out. "Why?"

"I have a theory about you" he points a gloved hand at me, "And well, I believe you passed. Now its rare that we get outsiders here, and I think you're just what this town needs"

I am speechless. I can't even form a coherent sentence. This was not what I had been expecting.

"My offer is on the table if you're interested" he says as he moves to the other side of me, "Stop by when you're willing to accept it"

With that, he walks past me, leaving me stunned on the sidewalk.


	8. Chapter 8

Flashback**  
><strong>

**Warnings: **Cursing/Underage/abuse/attempted rape.

* * *

><p>"Rumpelstiltskin!" I scream into the woods. I know he's here! Stupid imp! I can hear him giggle, that insane giggle all around me. "I know you're here!"<p>

Why am I still here. I am still in these woods almost every night. Still in this ridiculous dress! World spinning around me, I catch a shadow moving in the distance. Taking chase, I run and run, only to find myself back at the mirror each time.

* * *

><p>He watched her struggle. In the first month with that cop, he had tried to force himself on her. Foot planted firmly in the oaf's face, she had thrown him off her. She truly was her mother's daughter. The battle isn't over yet; He can see the oaf watching her out of the corner of his eye. And she knows it too. It had been some months since he had visited her. Oh, after the death of her friend, she had cried for him. He giggled at the thought. He had been tempted several times to reach out for her, but she wasn't ready yet. She had to be broken first. He sometimes wondered if all the pain she was going through was necessary. Then he remembered that all of the incidents in her life happened for a better cause. She was so alone right now, she would welcome him back. She was so desperate not to be alone, he could practically taste it. Maybe, he could even bottle her desperation and make some more potions. He waved that thought off. Now was not the right time.<p>

'Yes' he mused to himself as she watched the girl in her bedroom, 'It wouldn't be long now. She had progressed so much faster than he had expected. Just one more last push'

* * *

><p>I am completely alone. The cop, Mr. Allen, has tried to hurt me, like I knew he would. I can't tell anyone. I'll end up back in that 'home'. I can't runaway. I have just turned seventeen and they'll put me in jail at this point. Besides, how can I tell anyone that a cop of over fifteen years, with a long record of saving children, tried to hurt me. No one would believe me. This isn't the first home where someone hurt me, so this isn't anything I can't handle. I just wish I wasn't so alone. With Miss Jenna gone, I don't have a friend to talk to. I don't even have my dreams anymore. Some nights, I am still in that dark place, but not in the castle. I am all alone in the woods.<p>

There are some benefits to my situation, however. I have a job, a real job, at the police station. I enter personal data files, so I have access to public records. My foster father, or whatever he's called, is regarded as an upbeat citizen, a true hero by his past deeds. No one knows that every night he drinks almost a fifth of vodka by himself, turning him into a completely different person.

'Emma, I'm so sorry' I can still hear him whimper from that night. Body pressed against the door, I had pulled up my torn sleeve and locked him out. Still, he pleaded for forgiveness. 'I don't know what came over me. I am so sorry!'

Lip curling at the memory, I really ought to thank him. I have been able to earn my G.E.D while living with him. With the job he gave me at the station, as an apology, I now have some cash saved up. Soon, I can leave this place and finally be on my own. Once I get out of here, no one will hurt me again. I have found my personal files. Slowly, to avoid alarm, I have been deleting information. When I leave here, I have to be careful not to leave a trail. I want to disappear completely. I have looked for Miss Jenna's a few times when no one was around. The only thing I found was that she was murdered, and listed as an 'unidentified woman'. It's like she just disappeared.

"Emma!" there is a loud shout, which shakes me out of my trance "Come out here now"

Tensing, I come out to the living room. There is an empty liquor bottle on the counter. He had been trying to quit after he tried to hurt me, and mostly sticks to verbal insults from across the room. But tonight, tonight is different. He has put on an additional twenty pounds in the last few months, making him even larger than ever.

"Yes?" I say as I stand in the living room, arms folded across my body.

'Don't say 'yes', in that tone" he sneers at me while waving a glass of alcohol, "I didn't have to take you in, you know. If I hadn't, they'd have thrown you in jail for all your fights"

"Ok" I look him squarely in the eye.

"Little bitch" spittle is flying everywhere, and I roll my eyes. I have grown used to his little outbursts by now. They no longer intimidate me. "You are so ungrateful! No wonder your parents dumped you off"

The flinch inwards, but my face remains neutral. "Did you have something you needed me to do?"

"You know what, yeah"

Before I can react, he has my arm and is yanking me towards the ground. Adrenaline singing through me, with my free hand I punch him as hard as I can in the side of the head. His grip on my arm is so tight that I can't help but scream. This seems to knock Mr. Allen more off balance than my fist. For a minute, he just blinks at me.

"Emma!" he gasps.

"What the hell is going on in there?" a neighbor has been alerted by my screams and is now pounding on the door.

Mr. Allen's face goes pale for a second and looks down at my red, tear stained face. Meaty hand raised in the air, he strikes my cheek with a sudden force and the door is broken down.

I hang on for a few seconds. A man and woman have burst through the door. Mr. Allen is huddling in a corner, his face shiny with tears and sweat.

"She attacked me!" Mr. Allen is shaking so hard, "She just-" my world fades again.

When I drift back, I now see a woman. "Oh my gosh!" a she gasps as she picks up a broken bottle, covered in blood.

"I don't know why" Mr. Allen is sobbing, and in the fading light, I can see more blood.

A man is now kneeling down, peering into my eyes. "I can't believe she would do that-" is the last thing I hear before my world goes black.

* * *

><p>I'm back in the dark place, my head screaming in pain. I find the mirror and gasp. The white dress which was once so beautiful is torn. Blood stain and burn marks are still there from the previous incidents. My arm is throbbing and there is an ugly black bruise in the shape of fingers. Black streaks are running down my face, blonde hair tumbling everywhere. Running in the forest, I stumble over roots of overgrown trees. There is a howling all around me and I am bitterly cold.<p>

"Rumpelstiltskin!" I scream, "Where are you! Fucking coward!"

I run. I run until I can run no more. I have been running in circles, lungs hurting from the combination of screaming and the cold. I am back at the mirror. I can't leave this time. I am trapped. Sitting by the mirror, I let myself slump to the ground. I have no strength in me to fight.

* * *

><p>'Poor little princess' he giggled slightly to himself. When she came through the mirror, she was bruised, defeated, broken. She no longer had the will to wake up. She was perfect.<p>

And she had done everything he had wanted her to do.

* * *

><p>I don't know how long I have been sitting here. I don't care anymore if I live or die. Curled up, I allow myself to openly cry.<p>

"Now, now" a familiar voice is over me, "Didn't I tell you that princesses' don't cry?"

Gasping, I look up. "It's you?" He is standing a few feet from me.

"Indeed it is" he grins with a slight giggle.

I try to pull myself up to my feet, but I am so weak that I stumble back down.

"Oh dear. Oh little dearie, what have you gotten yourself into now?" he breaks into one of his theatrical dances as he comes and kneels down next to me.

I don't care if he's making fun of me. I am not alone anymore. With the last of my strength, I rocket myself into him and fiercely wrap my arms around him.

"Miss me?" he scoffs, but nevertheless, he wraps his arms around me.

"I'm never leaving again" it feels so good to have another body close to mine.

He pulls me off him to look me in the eyes. "You've been unconscious for two days now. You need to wake up"

"No! That man said I attacked him! He hurt me, he hurt me!" I can't stop crying, "They're going to put me in jail! I'll never be free! I was so close, so close…" I trail off in another fit of tears.

"Not going to happen" he waves a finger in my face. "There isn't a challenge you can't win. No odds you can't overcome. No riddle you can't solve!"

My mind is too hazy to even register what he's saying.

"I do not want to wake up" I plead with him, and he grins again.

"Well, I don't want you here, little dearie" he says snidely with a shrug.

"You're mean!" I revert back to my six year old self.

He giggles his infuriating giggle and with all the strength I can muster I go to shove him away, but he catches my wrist. Eyes wide, he pulls me in for a gentle kiss. I freeze, unsure of what to do. He pulls away, giving me a strange look.

"Now, that's a bit of a disappointment…Emma"

Eyes narrowing at the challenge, I lurch forward and attach my lips to his. There is a deep groan in his throat and I am roughly shoved back. Hands are roving all over my body through the torn dress, sending electric jolts through my body. I gasp into his mouth as I feel my dress being pulled up and his hands explore my inner thighs. I can't stop squirming. I feel my body tense up and I squeeze my eyes shut. Suddenly he stops. Eyes flying open, I let out a startled gasp as he is still staring down at me with a look I've never seen before.

"Why did you stop?"

For once, he doesn't respond. With a half smile, he leans over me, this time trailing kisses from my collarbone all the way up my neck. Skin on fire, I can't help but groan beneath him.

Nuzzling my ear, he stops again. What is in reality a few seconds feels like an eternity.

"Wake up, Emma" is the last thing I hear before my world goes dark again.

* * *

><p>"Oh!" with a groan, I sit straight up. I am covered in sweat, head hurting by the sudden rush of light.<p>

Wincing in pain, I look around the place, frowning when I see an IV in my arm. I am in a hospital. There is a hospital report on the IV tray. Yanking it over, I read over it briefly, frown deepening when it reads I had a mild concussion. On one of the chairs is a box with some of my things in it. I could recognize my baby blanket anywhere. Miss Jenna's book is there too. Mr. Allen's jacket is next to it. Feeling myself growing angry, I yank out the IV tube in my arm, not even flinching from the pain. Hands fumbling in his jacket, he doesn't have his car keys, but instead I find a wallet with two credit cards and some cash. My clothes from when I was taken to the hospital are still here and I yank them on.

I don't know if it's sheer luck, but my hospital room is on the first floor. I scan the room for cameras. I am not in the ICU, so there are none. Careful not to draw attention to myself, I open the window and throw my baby blanket and book out. Pocketing the wallet, I feel a sudden leap of joy when I see no pedestrians around. I can even see Mr. Allen's car from where I am standing. Without a glance backwards, I step out the window. Grabbing my items, I calmly walk towards Mr. Allen's car. It's locked, but the windows are open so I slide in easily. Another thing I am fortunate of; I had learned to hot wire cars while under Mr. Allen's care. Tears streaming down my face, I am off.

* * *

><p>He watched her go. She never once saw him. Chuckling to himself, he watched her run across to the car and drive off. There was a minor 'accident' in the parking lot behind the hospital, so all of the authorities and onlookers were over there when she left. He had heard that bumbling idiot of a cop scream when he entered the hospital room in search of her.<p>

"I've got to find her" he heard the man mutter to himself, "I've got to make things rights. I'll do anything"

Ears perking to the 'anything', Mr. Gold turned around and walked back inside the hospital, a smile spreading over his face.

* * *

><p>I couldn't keep Mr. Allen's car of course. Too easy to track. I dumped it off the side of the road and snuck into his house through the back door to collect some items of mine, and my savings from the last few months. Slinging some clothes in a torn suitcase, I kept my other stuff in a small box. Among the items are the newspaper clippings that Miss Jenna left me. It was almost night time by now, so it was easy to sneak around. Getting into a neighbor's car, I hot wired it and was soon gone. Knowing I couldn't stay anywhere for too long, I bribed a child to go into a convenience store and purchase some black hair dye and a pair of scissors with some cash, telling her to keep the rest.<p>

I spent that night in a shelter. It wasn't much, but at least no one cares who you are and there was a shower. Brushing my now short black hair out of my face, I hardly even recognize myself. Using a public library, I am able to gain access to files needed to obtain a new ID. My year working at the police station have served me well. By now, I have hot wired a third car. This car is from a junk yard, so no one even noticed it was gone. The other two had been, and I was in a tight spot a few times.

I am soon in a town I don't know. After missing a crucial turn, I realize I am now headed towards Maine. That was not my intention, but at least it'll help me put some distance between myself and that corrupt cop who said I tried to beat him. There is a warrant for my arrest now, but news reports claim Mr. Allen is not pursuing them. Walking into the DMV a week after my escape with a fake school ID and a fake rental agreement, I approach the counter top. The lady with silver brown hair is fortunately too busy to really be paying attention to me as she furiously begins typing away on her computer.

"And your name, hun?"

I look her dead in the eye. "Jenna. Jenna Black"


	9. Chapter 9

Extended scene: Flashback in Rumpelstiltskin's point of view.

Another long night at the bar. Jeff Allen, a once praised cop has been reduced to nothing. With several bandages on his body, many of his comrades congratulated him on being the 'bigger' man when it came to the case against his foster daughter. He was letting her run. There was the matter of his stolen car, but it had been retrieved, so there had been no need to go after her just yet. The other stolen car was found too.

But after that, she just disappeared. His wallet had been stolen, but so far, there hadn't been any withdrawals from his account. Oh, she had shown up at the house and managed to sneak in and get her stuff without anyone seeing her. No instances of her using a cell phone or even a computer. And the strangest part of all was her public files were all but gone.

'She's smart; he thought to himself, 'She knows how not to get caught'

Head in his hands, he felt guilt wash over his body. He'd do anything to make it right. A few days later, his wish was granted. As she left the town and passed on a toll road, her picture was captured on the camera, however briefly. Her hair was dark now, but he'd recognize those crystal blue eyes anywhere. She must be headed to Maine; he had seen the newspaper clipping she'd kept in her room. And tomorrow, he would begin his search for her.

The entire time, he never noticed that he was begin watched.

* * *

><p>"Where am I" He heard his own lost sounding voice calling out.<p>

Standing in front of a mirror, Jeff looked around. He was in an ancient looking castle. It was dark outside. Looking around, there were shelves everywhere with glowing bottles. Eyes squinting in confusion, he approached the shelves, hands reaching out for a red glowing bottle, marked, 'Fire'.

"Ah!" he cried out when it burned him. This sent him flying back, knocking him into a desk. Terror rising, he searched around the room, desperately searching for an escape.

"Now why would a grown man touch something labeled, 'Fire'?" he heard a strange, high chuckle behind him.

Jeff looked over the creature in front of him. The creature, or man, had a very sharp face, messy shoulder length hair. He had on what he could only guess was leather pants and an old fashioned shirt with a strangely designed leather jacket on top. It was the eyes that made Jeff stop. There were golden, and appeared to be glowing.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" Jeff asked him, voice growing frantic.

The creature advanced towards him. "Now, now, I brought you here because you asked. No need to be frightened"

"Is this a dream?" Jeff asked, voice becoming high pitched, "Who are you?"

"None of your concern. You wouldn't believe me anyways" Rumpelstiltskin couldn't resist swaggering close to the man, watching him twitch in fear, "Question is, why are you here?"

"The hell are you talking about?" Jeff sputtered, "Why are you dressed like its Halloween?'

Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. There was no fun in toying with someone like this. "You are searching for someone, are you not?"

Eyes lighting up, Jeff regained his composure. "You, you know where she is?"

"Indeed, I do" he said as he brushed lint of his jacket.

"Where is she!" Jeff was almost crying with relief, "Where is my Emma?"

"YOUR Emma?" Rumpelstiltskin couldn't help but sneer at him.

"I need to find her!" Jeff plundered on, not catching the warning, "If you know something, please, you have to tell me!"

"Oh indeed I shall…for a price"

"What is it?"

"I just need you to answer one question" Rumpelstiltskin couldn't even bring himself to make a jest. Instead he stood stark still as he stared at the man. "What would posses a man dedicated to helping others to raise a hand to a child?"

"I-I ne-need t-to make th-things right!" Jeff blubbered, thrown off by the question, "It was the booze! I, I didn't mean to do it!"

"Of course you didn't, dearie" Rumpelstiltskin circled the man, "No one ever means to do the things they do" he suddenly stopped and put a finger to his mouth as if he was pondering something. "Oh, if only everyone knew about the _others_"

Jeff began blubbering again to defend himself but he was waved off with a slight giggle. "Enough of the theatrics"

"I answered your question!" Jeff's face a bright red that could be seen even in the dark room, "Now, where is she?"

"She's home with her mother" Rumpelstiltskin grinned at him, "She found her not to long ago"

"Her mother? She's in Maine isn't she?" There was no response. "I-I need to make things right!"

"Yes, yes, I think I'm catching on to that!" Rumpelstiltskin let out a scoff and he continued to walk around the room, "And just how do suppose you'll do that?"

"I don't know" Jeff admitted with a sigh, "She was suppose to be my second chance. I wanted to be her father"

"Father?" he spat the word as he turned to the man, face twisted in a snarl, "You don't know the meaning of the word. I was a father once" Rumpelstilskin now began

circling Jeff again, "And I lost him-"

"Stop please!" Jeff cried as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"-when he was still a child" Rumpelstilskin continued on. "Do you know what fathers do? Fathers protect, fathers provide. Fathers" he whispered into Jeff's ear, smirking

as the man cried, "sell their souls if it means the child will be safe"

"I need to make this right!" Jeff ran a hand through his sweaty hair, "Please! I'll do anything"

Rumpelstiltskin stopped walking and let another scoff. This man was making it too easy. No matter. "Anything?"

"Yes, anything?" Jeff had a very determined look on his face.

"Now were talking"

* * *

><p>"In other news tonight, Senior Police Officer Jeff. S. Allen was found dead in his home this morning in what appears to be an overdose. No foul play is suspected" Mr. Gold had a satisfied smile as he listened to the news, 'While officials are still searching for his ward Emma Swan, a file has turned up, left by an anonymous tip to check files of children he originally had in his home. It is well known that Officer Allen was a foster father to troubled teens. According to these files, Officer Allen abused several of them. In light of this, officials are now reopening to case where Miss Emma Swan allegedly attacked her foster father. More on that later tonight"<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

My goodness, this was a pain to edit: For future reference, never label title chapters, 1, 2, 3 etc. Lesson learned. Story is currently caught up, flashbacks and present time finally come together! Once again, tell me if you like it, hate it, if it makes more sense, or if you liked it the way it was previously.

I'm back in the dark place again. This time, I'm not in a white dress anymore. My dress is now a solid gold and the sleeves hang off my shoulder. My hair, black in here as well, hangs down in art full waves. It's still only shoulder length. The black hair makes my blue eyes more electric and they're about to pop out There's some rustling behind me, and I turn around.

"A new dress?" I ask.

"Couldn't have you wandering around in that torn white dress" Rumpelstiltskin is soon by side, a pleased looking grin on his face, "That thing was filthy. And it so happened that I had another dress"

"Was there someone else here before?" I am curious to know. He's never mentioned another person, unless it is a story about one of his deals.

He goes silent for a moment and he seems to be looking right through me. "Yes. There was someone else here" He grow quiet again and I lean in, thinking he's actually going to tell me a real story about himself. With another insane giggle, he throws his arms open and begins walking around wildly. "You were being followed not too long ago and they showed up here"

"By who?" he just grins at me, and I become frustrated with him. "Just tell me already! And speak plainly for once!"

"Alright, alright" he waves me off, "That _cop _was trying to track you down. But not to worry. He's a…he's a thing of the past. You don't need to run anymore"

I am in shock. Gasping for breath, I just stare at him, my eyes so wide it almost hurts. "He's gone! He's gone forever!" Rumpelstiltskin nods. "You had something to do with it, didn't you?"

"No, the man upped and died on his own accord to do the world a favor!"

"You knew the entire time I was with him didn't you!" I accuse, growing angry.

"He's not going to hurt you again, now is he? He paid for what he did with his life"

I can feel my temper fizzling. Then, another thought comes to mind. "But, that warrant. They're still going to look for me! I have to leave again soon"

Rumpelstiltskin suddenly frowns at me. "You know, little dearie, the older you get, the more dense you become"

"Excuse me!"

"What, are you dense and deaf now?"

I go to say something else, but the words fail me and I'm just left glaring at him. I turn around, not wanting to face him.

"Are you ready for another riddle?" he is behind me again, his body is so close to mine that I can feel the heat from him. I can feel my breath coming quicker in little, short gasps.

"No more riddles, just answer plainly"

"No. Like all my riddles, you need to figure this one out on your own again"

"What's my clue this time?"

He nuzzles my ear, sending tingles up my spine, and I freeze again.

"It's all around you" he whispers.

* * *

><p>Paper in hand, I walk into Granny's Diner bright and early, hoping to catch Granny. I pick a table in the back and wait for a few minutes. After this, I will be joining Mary Margaret for lunch. This is my fifth day in this little town and I need to come to a decision quickly. The ad in the paper says she needed a cashierwaitress to help Ruby in the evenings. Running a hand over the ad, I gaze longingly at the job at the Sheriff's office. There is an opening for a Correction's Deputy. I don't qualify for it, so I'm not even going to bother. And Granny had said to come in if I needed a job. Tugging my new silver shirt nervously, one of the waitresses comes over and I order a coffee.

"The life of a waitress" a deep voice says behind me, startling me out of my trance, "How enchanting that sounds"

I roll my eyes as I turn around. I don't even need to ask whose behind me. "Hello Mr. Gold. What can I do for you?"

"The other night, I offered you assistance with a job" he turns around with a smile, not at all looking like the man who had Ruby and Mary Margaret scared of him. He eyes the ad in my hand again. "But, I see you have all the help you need"

I nod, and he gets up with a cup in his hand. I am annoyed, again, because I am very sure I hadn't seen him when I first walked in.

"Walk with me" he asks, a pleasant smile still on his face.

"Uh, I'm waiting for Granny"

"My shop is just up the street. I can assure you, you won't be gone more than ten minutes" He's not going to go away. He is obviously one of those people who is persistent enough to give Mary Margaret a run for her money. "Thank you" he says when I get up.

We are silent as we walk, and as he said, we are actually not far from his shop. I hesitate before walking in, remembering those eyes.

"So, what prompted you to decide on a waitress job?" he asks.

I head directly for the corner in which I first saw the eyes. Brow furrowing, I see nothing but two puppets. My stomach erupts into nervous butterflies; they're faces appear to be frozen in horror. I quickly turn away from them.

"Nothing in particular. I was just looking around more than anything. In any case, I don't think I'll go for it?"

"What a shame. When do you think you'll be leaving us?" Mr. Gold asks as I look around the store.

"In two days. My savings can only keep me in one place for so long"

"Where are you headed" I look up at him, not expecting the question. He sees my hesitation. "If you don't mind my curiosity"

"I, well, I had it in mind to start my trip out to Arizona"

"Ah, I highly doubt you'd like a job as a waitress anyways" he laughs, "Now, which job were you really looking for? If you don't mind me being so bold, I couldn't help but notice you were eying a job listed by the Sheriff's Department"

Sheesh, this man is good at analyzing. "I, uh, I did some work at a police station and well…yeah" He smiles at my awkwardness and I can feel myself blushing.

"You know, Ms. Black, it sounds like you need some roots. And some confidence. Are you sure you can't be tempted to stay?" He grins a very sly grin at me, "To be honest, I think a job at the diner would be such a waste. Stay in town. Go for the job you want"

"To do that, I would need to find an apartment first and in all honesty, I am not qualified for a job in a Sheriff's Department"

"I have heard in passing that they are looking for a Correction's Deputy"

"Yes. I, uh, well, I've done patrolling and worked at a police department before. But I don't have any references to get the job"

"Is that so?" Mr. Gold leaves the counter and walks toward me. "Well, this is your lucky day. You see, I know of a way to be able to get that job and get you your apartment. All of this can be arranged and finalized by the end of this week, actually. All it will take is some cooperation on your part"

"Really!" I stare at him, mouth hanging open, "What do I have to do?"

"It's no trouble at all, really" he smiles warmly at me, "How much do you want that job?"

"Are-are you saying you can get it for me!" I am nearly breathless, "You're-you're sure! I-I don't yet have anyway to pay you!"

"How badly do you want this?"

I can't go back home. I am desperate to get away. And this is my golden opportunity. "I can't go back home. I just have to get away. I'll do whatever it takes"

Some dark flickers in his brown eyes. I am momentarily taken aback and the butterflies form in the bottom of my gut again. Before I can get too worried, the moment passes as quickly as it came.

"As for payment, ma dear" he then circled me for a moment, his eyes deep in thought. Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist he suddenly turned to face me "Tell you what; you'll owe me a favor"

"Uh, what kind of favor?" I watch him walk back behind the counter as he starts moving paper work.

"In a few weeks, I have to go collect some merchandise" he says as he reaches into drawer behind the counter top. His hand reappears with a yellow envelope and he pushes it towards me. "Due to some, unforeseen circumstances, I am unable to pick it up. You get this for me, and I'll get you your job"

"What's the merchandise?" I am curious to know. Looking around at the antiques in the shop, I am half expecting it to be an ancient cuckoo clock, or maybe even a valuable artifact.

"Well, there are two parts to it; One, you'll need to get the merchandise. Two: you'll have to deliver it promptly. You'll find out what it is when you arrive. No need to fret about it now. When the time comes to fetch my merchandise, I shall call on you"

"That's all I have to do?" this sounds almost too good to be true.

"That's all you have to do" The envelope is again pushed towards me, this time with a pen. "Just sign on the dotted line. And that job is yours"

In a dizzy fit of happiness, I quickly lurch for the pen and sign my name. I don't have to go back home! He stands there, calm as ever and waits for me to finish. I am beaming from ear to ear. He takes to envelope and places it into a purple folder while fishing for a clipped article for a newspaper.

"While I was collecting information about your soon to be new job, I also took the liberty of finding some cheap apartments that have just become available" with a quirk of his head he pushes this at me now.

Gingerly, I picked up the newspaper clip and sure enough, there were several listings highlighted. All of which will fall under my price range. "Why are you going out of your way to help me?"

"You're young, all by yourself" he says, his Scottish accent sounding almost lyrical, "We've all been between a rock and a hard place before"

"Am I that obvious?"

"Oh yes" he says, his tone dropping as he leans back against the counter top, "Especially when you get to be my age, it becomes easy to recognize a desperate soul"

"Well…uh, thank you!" I'm not all to sure how to respond to that last statement.

"Tomorrow, talk to the manager at the apartment all the way at the top. Mr. Jean, I believe. Nice old chap. He'll help you get situated"

I'm speechless, and he gives me a half smile. "I can now officially say, welcome to Storybrooke"

"Thank you" I say breathlessly as I turn to leave the little pawnshop. I can feel his eyes on me the entire time.

* * *

><p>"Jenna?" Mary Margaret says as she slides into the booth next to me, "You look like you've just seen a ghost"<p>

"I'm staying" the words just fly out of my mouth. She is the one person I have connected the most with here. I have even told her about my stay at the orphanage. The events that happened after I left, I keep to myself still.

"Good! I knew you would" reaching out, she grabs my hand. "What are you going to do for work?"

"I found a job with the Sheriff's Department. It's for a Corrections Deputy"

Mary Margaret frowns. "Are you sure? I know people have been trying to get that job for a while now"

"Well…I am going to try. If not, Granny's told me to stop by here"

"I'm glad you're staying" Mary Margaret says again, "And tomorrow, if you'd like, I can help you find an apartment. In fact, I have the morning paper here with me-" she pulls it out and something catches my eye, "-and I know there's quite a few apartments that…Jenna? Jenna, what are you staring at?"

"The newspaper? It's made by the Daily Mirror?" I stare at her incredulously.

"Yes" Mary Margaret waves at it with a laugh, "It was kind of a joke-"

"No!" I shout, startling several other people in the restaurant, "I have a newspaper that was given to me by a friend when I lived at the orphanage! The name on it was also the Daily Mirror! It dates back to when I was born"

Mary Margarete's eyes grow wide. I continue on rambling, not caring if anyone hears me. "Do you know what this means? I think I found my home! Or, at least my parents' home. it's a stretch in the dark, but who knows"

Right as I say this, a woman I hadn't yet seen walked into the diner. She is one of the most elegant ladies I have seen in this town so far. With jet black, shoulder length hair, dark eyes, flawless complexion and a crisp blue business suit, she is without a doubt, beautiful. Looking back at Mary Margaret and then at me, her lips press together in the most irritated scowl I have seen since the orphanage.


	11. Chapter 11

Ok, I probably should've put an author's note to let everyone know I was editing and republishing the story. Been having some technical difficulties over here and I hope I haven't lost anyone Here, we get to see Emma/Jenna begin to use some of her magic. Usual Disclaimer applies.

* * *

><p>"Jenna, I heard you decided to stay" a warm voice says behind me.<p>

My throat contracts and my tongue suddenly swells, cutting my voice off. It's Graham, or Sheriff Graham, I should say. I count to three before I finally turn around, hoping my face isn't as red as an apple. He is smiling at me, and I do my best to muster up my courage, which has now dropped so low I have to look up to see the bottom of it.

"Yeah, a couple of people have asked me to, and, well, there was a job I kind of wanted" I wipe my sweaty bangs out of my face. I am in the middle of dragging my suitcase and box out of Granny's. Of course he decides to show up now.

"The Correction's Deputy, I saw that. Are you interested in law enforcement?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess. And I needed the money"

"Well, that's understandable" Graham said kindly as he walked even closer to me, "Do you need help with your moving?"

"No, not much to move" I say quickly. It just slipped out of me and I curse myself.

"Really?" he asks, sounding surprised as he looks in the back of my car. I feel self-conscious as his eyes widen at the few things I have with me. "Is that really all you have?"

"Yes. Have had several different homes, and I find that having few things makes moving a bit easier"

He smiles at me again. "Hopefully, that'll change soon. I'll see you bright and early Monday morning"

I find myself smiling back as he waves and continues down the street. This town is turning out to be more interesting that I had anticipated. Especially with the realization that I probably have family in this town. I stare at the newspaper clipping in my box. Luckily for me, the new apartment that Mr. Gold helped me find isn't far from here. I make a mental note to stop by the shop again to see if maybe he could point me in the right direction for more information on this article. A feeling of peace slips over me and I feel the tension that had been cramping up my shoulders begin ease. I think I'm actually going to like it here.

* * *

><p>There was an angry slam of the shop door followed by a storm of high heels clicking.<p>

"Gold, where the hell are you?" Regina was angry and her voice could be heard almost down the street.

"Taking inventory" Mr. Gold suddenly appeared behind the counter, "What can I do for you today, Madam Mayor"

"There is someone new in town" Regina paced through the shop, stopping to look as some items, "How the hell did she get here?"

"You said so yourself, tourists sometimes find there way through here" Mr. Gold smiled at her, "What's so different about this one?"

"This one's staying" she narrowed her eyes, "I want her gone, and I want her gone now. Our current deal, I'll double your price. Get her out"

"Oh, are you that afraid of her?" he asked his voice full of mock surprise.

"I don't like her" Regina almost growled, "She has no business here and she looks like cheap trash"

"Regina, I don't alter my deals. For our current deal, my price is the same. As for our new stranger…well if you want her out then you'll make a brand new deal with a separate price"

Regina stared at him for a moment, her glare doing it's best to kill him. Then she did something that Mr. Gold had not expected her to do.

Smiling, Regina leaned towards him, talking so low she was practically whispering. "You know what, I'm actually glad she's here. And I hope she stays for a good long time. Keep your week free Gold; We need more time to talk about this new deal"

With another glare, she turned and walked out of the shop, slamming the door on her way out.

Mr. Gold couldn't help but snicker. This was turning out to be way more entertaining than he had expected it to be.

* * *

><p>Corrections Deputy. Translation; walking in a circle doing nothing. I have done this exact job when I was at the orphanage. I am a patrol, again. When I first started this job, I had though I was going to be in an office, helping the new Sheriff (I wish), or even working in the prison area. No, I am stuck in a hospital. For 'training purposes'. It's hasn't even been a week, and I'm already itching to see something new. It's evening now, so there aren't too many people here since most of the staff has gone home. What makes it odder is that there aren't even that many patients.<p>

I stop by the cafeteria to get some coffee and begin my round again. There are a couple very bored looking nurses fiddling through old magazines. Other than that, the hospital is almost dead. Next time, I am bringing my MP3 Player. This is ridiculous. Something catches the corner of my eye and I turn. There is a hallway that I haven't seen before. There is no one else in sight, so I walk down. The lights down here don't work as well, giving the place a very eerie feeling all together. At the end of a hallway is a door that states in big bold letters, 'Authorized Personal Only'. Right next to it is a key pad.

'Well, I'm authorized' I think to myself.

I whip out my new ID and begin typing in the code on the back. It has gotten me into every other background, so this one shouldn't be any different. I frown when the little red light denies me. I try it again, and I get the same response.

"Oh just open already" I mutter to myself as I furiously type in the code again.

To my dismay, the key pad chirps a happy green and the door opens.

"Oh…kay" I say out loud.

Tentatively, I push the door all the way open and peer inside. The walls are a dull grey cement and there a few creepily placed lights throughout the place and there is one that is flickering nonstop. I walk through, closing the door behind me. This place practically looks like a basement.

"Hi?" I say, not really expecting a response. It's so quiet down here that it's making me nervous.

I continue forward, and soon, what looks like several doors appear. There are slits towards the bottom of the doors, but no windows. They are just big enough to slide through a tray, or a few books. There is a slight noise on the other side of one door, and again, curiosity gets the better of me. Ear pressed against the door, I can hear muttering behind one of the doors.

'An asylum?' I think to myself, 'Why didn't anyone tell me there was an asylum in the hospital?'

At that moment, there is a loud roar followed by a yip coming from a farther place down the building. Taking off in a dash, I run towards the noise, nearly falling when I turn a sharp corner. Soon, I locate the noise, and I feel my heart surge in my throat.

A large custodial worker that I have seen maybe two times since my arrival is holding his arm, face twisted in rage and pain. He isn't as big as Mr. Allen was, but he's still an intimidating size. Long, greasy brown hair is tied back in a loose ponytail, several strands loose and falling down his face. Following his gaze, I see a young woman, a patient I guess, judging from her white nightgown. Auburn hair in a disarray, she is scurrying away from the man on all fours, blood dripping from her mouth. She finds a corner and curls up, hands over her head for protection.

"You! Little! Bitch!" the custodian hollers at the girl. Fists clenching and unclenching, he moves towards the frightened girl whom I can see trembling from where I am standing.

"Hey!" I shout and stomp forward. A feeling of déjà vu' strikes me. "What are you doing?"

The custodian suddenly stomps, turning towards me with a shocked look. He blinks a few times before answering. "How did you get in here?"

"I work here" I say, putting myself between him and the woman in the corner. She hasn't moved from her spot yet. "Did you hit her?"

"She bit me!" the man exclaims, pointing at the woman behind me. Sure enough, there is an angry bite mark on his left arm.

"Why did she do that?" the scene is really becoming all to familiar and I can feel my body tense up.

"Didn't want to take her meds!" he snarled, showing ugly yellow teeth. He waves a fist at the girl behind me. "Ain't that right you little hussy!"

I turn to look at the shaking woman. I don't even need to see her torn gown to know he is lying. For a moment, I am so angry I see red.

"Good wins the right way" I mutter under my breath. I really want to hit this guy. However, a promise is a promise, and I take a deep breath.

"Gonna shove those pills so far down her throat-!" the man is muttering. I have heard enough.

"Riiiiggghhhttt" I drawl, spreading my feet apart as I cross my arms over my chest, "That's a new one"

"Excuse me" the man now approaches me, and I hear the woman in the corner gasp, "She bit me. No, she, she assaulted me. I was in my right to defend myself"

"Yeah, you and I both know that's not what happened down here" I can't help but chuckle as I gaze up at him.

"What are you implying?" the man, name badge reading Pete, pokes a finger in my face. I am not afraid.

"Tell me, what provoked you to attack a patient?" I am talking to him like a child right now. I give him a sympathetic wince. "Did your own hand reject you last night?"

Face growing red, Pete flies into a rage. He raises a hand to hit me.

"No!" I shout, startling even myself. Pete stops, fist in the air, staring down at me, blinking that stupid blink of his. I point a finger towards the hallway. "Leave!"

"Who the hell do you think you are-"

"I'm Ms. Black, and I am telling you right now to leave!"

For a moment, we lock eyes. Chewing on his bottom lip, Pete glares at me, but doesn't make a move towards me again. After what feels like hours, he turns and leaves. He gets a few yards before he turns around again.

"Ah! Get moving!" he then turns a corner and doesn't come back.

Taking a deep breath, I turn to the woman in the corner. Kneeling down next to her, I place a hand on her shoulder, and she whimpers.

"Not here to hurt you" I coax her, "He must've hit you hard. C'mon, let me have a look"

She pulls her arms off her head, and I am taken back by how pale and gaunt her face is. Still, her crystal blue bore right into mine, telling me she is much more lucid than I had imagined. Her lip is a mess. It'll probably need stitches.

"Let's get you to a nurse" I stand up and extend a hand towards her. I don't care if she's in a separated area; she needs to have her lip looked at.

I don't get a response from her, so I try and press forward. "My name is Jenna, and I'm new here. What's your name?"

"Belle" her voice comes out in nearly a croak. Obviously, she hasn't spoken in a while.

"Is that short for Isabelle?" I ask her. Again, no response of any kind. I hold out my hand towards her again.

She stares at my outstretched for a moment before placing her cold hand in mine. Carefully, I help her to her feet. She is so weak she can barely stand. She nearly topples over and her arms fly around my waist for support. One arm around her waist and the other holding her bony arm, we slowly walk out of the 'basement' and down the hallway to the nurses' office. There are a few voices coming from inside. The nurse on duty, a thick older woman comes out and her eyes nearly pop out of her head when she sees the woman with me.

"She needs medical attention" I say, snapping the woman out of her trance,

"Of course" the nurse says as she comes towards us, a look that can only be interpreted as fear growing on her face.

"What's going on?" an icy voice asks from inside the office. High heels clicking, I see the woman who had stared at Mary Margaret and I at Granny's Diner the other day. Belle's grip on my waist tightens.

The woman, I later found out she was Regina Mills, the town mayor, stares at me with oddest expression on her face. She takes a quick glance at Belle and her expression tightens.

"Hello there" she says, her voice sickeningly sweet, "You're the new girl in the town. I'm Regina Mills. The town's Mayor"

I pry Belle off my waist and prompt her take a seat in a nearby chair. "Yes ma'am, I'm Jenna"

She approaches me, her face very tight. "I understand you just recently landed the job as Correction's Deputy"

"Yes, ma'am" I say with a slight nod.

"Well congratulations" Mayor Mills says, her eyes never once leaving mine while she jabs a pointed finger at Belle, "Psychiatric patients are never to leave the ward. Since you're new, I'll let this slide this one time. For future reference, that door in the hallway says 'Authorized Personal Only' for a reason"

"She needed help" I say, surprised at how calm my voice is, "She was attacked by a custodian and I arrived right on time"

Mayor Mills take a step closer. "Are you implying that you assaulted a member of my staff?"

How the hell had the conversation taken this turn?

"No. I didn't touch him" my eyes never leave the Mayor's. Black eyes stare back into mine, but I refuse to back down.

"Good" Regina says with another sweet smile, "Enjoy your time here"

The room is as tense as it was the first night at Granny's when I first came here. The mayor soon leaves, her shoulder nearly slamming into mine. The minute she walks out of room, the air suddenly feels lighter. The older nurse is just staring at Belle, hands fluttering everywhere.

"Excuse me!" I snap at the woman, "Her lip needs attention"

The woman nearly jumps back. I roll my eyes towards the door. She thankfully takes the hint and nearly sprints out of the room, stammering about a First Aid Kit. I turn back to Belle, heart fluttering nervously when I find her staring at me with a peculiar look.

"C'mon, lets get this blood off of you" I kneel down before her.

Small tissue in hand, I go to wipe the blood. When I pull back my hand, I find it completely healed. Eyes growing wide, I freeze and Belle gives another gasp.

"M-must be Pete's b-blood from when y-you bit him!" I stammer out. She is staring at me still. She opens her mouth and for a moment, I think she'll say something.

"Found the kit here!" the nurse is back and Belle automatically shuts down again.

* * *

><p>"Ms. Black, how are you today?" Sheriff Graham greets me as I walk into the office. I am dropping off some reports from the night before.<p>

"I'm alright" I say, feeling my heart begin racing.

"So, you've been doing the job as Correction's Deputy for nearly two weeks now? How are you liking Storybrooke?"

"It's fine" I say politely. Actually, it's better than that. This last week, Ruby has dragged me out clothes shopping when my first paycheck arrived, and I have been meeting Mary Margaret almost every morning for coffee at the Diner.

"Good. Happy to hear that" Sheriff Graham is now at my side, "So, I couldn't help but overhear the other week that you had a custodian by the name of Pete leave a scene of what was reported to be an attack on a patient"

"I didn't hit him, and I don't care what anyone says" I all but hiss. I mentally dare the Mayor to try and throw that claim at me.

To my surprise, he is laughing. I look up at him in wonder. "What's so funny?"

"It's just that no one's ever been able to order him around before. He won't even listen to me. You, on the other hand, were able to handle him like an expert" he stops talking for a minute and is giving me a knowing look. "How about a job transfer?"

"Job transfer?"

"Yes. I need someone who's able to keep their cool in tense situations. I need someone who can make people listen to them. In plain terms, I need a deputy"


	12. Chapter 12

Having technical issues with this story! Really did lose a lot of people with it as alerts never went out. Hope everyone finds this again! (I am never editing/combining a story again). Got a few PM's if I was still doing the story. Yes!…Just, having technical issues. To those who asked for a not so dark story, check out 'Night Light' and 'Peeping Gold'.

* * *

><p>"How are you liking the new job" Mary Margaret asked as we waited in line at Granny's Diner for coffee.<p>

It had been a week since my job transfer. I am amazed at how fast things were moving since I decided to stay here. Just the other week, Mary Margaret had given me an old bed set. She had a spare room in her apartment with a furniture set. It had been a long time since I had opened up to anyone and with Mary Margaret, it just felt right and so very easy. My little apartment was starting to look like home, or at least a place I could call home for a while.

"Lot of paperwork" I said, and Mary Margaret laughed. "But besides that, not to bad"

"So, how's working with Sheriff Graham" Mary Margaret gave me a mischievous wink with a prod in my ribs.

"Uh, yeah, well, I think it's interesting, I mean, he's always been nice to me" I have reverted back to my original way of talking.

"Oh, so someone has feelings for Graham" Mary Margaret began teasing.

Face flushing so that even I know I am red, I turn back to her, eyes wide. "I do not! Come on! I do not!" Granny, who's at the register, stops what she's doing and looks over at me with a confused look. Mary Margaret is giving me a knowing look and it's frustrating. "I don't!"

"What don't you have?" Graham's voice is right behind me.

'Oh perfect' I think to myself. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Before I can do anything, Mary Margaret is already on her heels,

"She was just telling me about how interesting the new job was" Mary Margaret's smile appeared so innocent, but I knew better, "But there are things she doesn't quite get yet. Like, how she hasn't seen the whole town yet, and some of her calls take longer than she'd like because she can't find the place"

"Is that so?" Sheriff Graham turns to me, "Well, Jenna, why didn't you just say so? I'll be more than happy to show you the town. After all, a good deputy should know their surroundings"

"…uh, meant to bring it up" was my witty response.

"Oh, would you look at the time!" Margaret retrieved a cup of cocoa from Ruby and pretended to be flustered while she looked at her watch, "Jenna, I am soooo sorry! I have got to get to the school and finish up a module for a class presentation! Must've slipped my mind"

"Yeah, I bet it did" I say sarcastically.

"Understood, Mary Margaret" Sheriff Graham watches her leave before turning back to me, "Mind if I walk with you back to the department after you get your coffee?"

"So what did you do before you became Sheriff?"

This turned out to be a very pleasant walk indeed. The Sheriff is a very easy man to talk to, which helps me get over my nervousness that much more easily. While walking, he mentioned that he volunteered at the local animal shelter in his free time. I even opened up about my time spent as a patrol in the foster home and about my friend's murder that no one could explain.

"I was a fire fighter" he told me, "And then, just before you came, there was an explosion which killed our original Sheriff. He died while rescuing a family from the fire. Mayor Mills then stepped forward and asked me to take over his role"

I nodded at the last comment. Sheriff Graham seemed to be in good standing with the mayor so I kept my mouth shut. I had only one encounter with the woman and I was content to stay on the other side of town away from her. From what I gathered, so was everyone else here,

"Look, Jenna, I understand Regina and although she might be a bit of a hardass, she does have the town's best interest in mind" Sheriff Graham seemed to read my mind, "And, as you probably are aware, she wasn't too keen on the idea of you becoming my new deputy"

"Did I do something to her?"

"She thinks you have a problem with authority"

I rolled my eyes. It's not the first time I've heard this. But hey, at least this time, I didn't get into a fight.

"So, tell me about the asylum" I ask, hoping to change topics.

Sheriff Graham stops walking and gives me an odd look. "Jenna, there are no asylums here. Anyone here whose decided to be in need of psychiatric help are transferred out of here"

"No. That custodian who attacked the patient" I am determined and forceful. I know I wasn't imagining things. "It says its for restricted personal only. Ask Mayor Mills about it!"

"The Mayor knows?" he folds his arms in front of his chest and peers at me intently, "I think you just found a dark area in the hospital. That patient that was attacked…she was released the other day. She and the custodian were having a lovers quarrel according to the report"

"No, she was a mental patient!"

"Tell you what, you go get the construction map of the town and we'll go over it together"

"Ok, where can I find it? Do you have it?"

"No, Mayor Mills does. Why don't you stop by her office and pick it up" I glare at the idea and he laughs, hands going up submissively. "I get it, I get it. The only other person here who would own it is Mr. Gold"

"The Pawn Shop guy?"

"Yes, him. If you don't want to get that map, I understand-"

"No!" I cut him off, "I'll get it"

He gives me another smile, before his beeper goes off. "I got to get back to the station. The pawnshop actually isn't far from here. Go check it out and meet me back at the office in an hour"

I watched him go, and several questions ran through my head.

How does the town Sheriff not know about the asylum? I knew that girl was a mental patient and no there was no 'lovers spat' that was going on.

"Something's off about this place" I murmured to myself.

It's not a long walk to the pawnshop. Odd, it seems like every turn here leads to a path there. I hesitate before walking in. Those eyes still haunt me.

"Jenna, how lovely to see you again. I'm flattered that the new officer would take time out of their busy schedule to come see me." Mr. Gold is polishing what looks like to be a lamp of sorts. Smiling, he puts down the lamp and looks up at me. He gives me a once over from head to toe. "Or should I say, the new town Deputy"

Grinning like a fool, I walk up to counter. "You heard to?"

"Oh yeah. I have eyes and ears all over this town. What can I do for you, Deputy?"

"I was looking for the construction manual on the town"

"Of all the things to be searching for, the construction layout for our town" he gives me a look as if we're sharing a secret, "Whatever for?"

"I, I found something and Sheriff Graham doesn't believe me"

"You know, Mayor Mills has the town copy. If you'd like I can give you some directions" he gives me another half smile. "Then again, you wouldn't be here if it was that easy, would you?"

'Wow, this guy really likes rhetorical questions' I think to myself.

"Fear not, Miss Black, I have a copy in the back" he takes a hold of his cane and limps back to where there are some curtains and disappears for a moment. When he comes back out he is holding a thick file and extends it too me. "If you don't mind my asking, what did you find?"

I go to open my mouth, but something stops me from answering. Words have just failed me and my gaze drops to everywhere in the room but his.

"Alright" he chuckles, "I won't press you"

A strand of hair falls in front of my eyes as I take the file. While struggling to catch a file from dropping out of the folder, I make a quick dash to grab it, and as I do, I feel his hand graze against my cheek as he pushes the strand out of my eyes. For a minute, it feels like all the feeling has been drained out of my body. I am not to sure how to react.

"W-well, uh, t-thank you!" I hold up the folder. He is still smirking at me and I can hear myself laughing nervously, "G-got, I got to get going! Thanks again" Backing away, I trip over the rug in his shop and make a dash for the exit.

* * *

><p>"Thank you for doing that, Jenna" Sheriff Graham says as he closes the blinds to the department.<p>

It is time to close up and I am finishing up some paper work. It was an agreement we had when working late nights together; He'd do the rounds to make sure everything was locked and I'd finish the paperwork. He hated paperwork and I hated 'patrolling', so this arrangement worked out nicely. It had been a few days since Mr. Gold gave me the files for the town. I hadn't found the time to speak to Graham about this since the Mayor had asked him to do some special projects for her and the animal shelter kept him busy.

My cheek tingled at the memory of Mr. Gold wiping my hair out of my eyes. If he had been doing that to creep me out than he had done a fantastic job of it.

"I'd been meaning to ask you" Graham startles me out of my thought, "Did you manage to get those town documents?"

"Yeah, uh, they are in my car actually. Truth be told, I'd been meaning to go over them but I hadn't had the chance"

We walk out of the department together. "Me neither. Are you busy tonight? I was thinking about going over to Granny's and having a drink. Join me and we'll go over those town documents"

I am speechless for a second. I turn around to answer him, smiling so wide it hurts me cheek. He is so very close to me and I move to take a step even closer.

"Am I interrupting?" a deep voice snaps us both out of thought and Graham and I instantly pull away from the other. I am instantly annoyed as I turn around to face the voice, no question in mind on who it is.

"No, Ms. Black and I were just closing for the night" Graham is now stepping from one foot to another. I guess he was another person nervous around Mr. Gold.

"Good, I need to have a word with her, so please excuse us" Mr. Gold was now standing so close that he had managed to get himself between me and Graham. "And I wouldn't want to keep you from your…busy schedule"

I go to say something but I notice that Graham is silent. For a moment, Mr. Gold is glaring at Graham, who has a very nervous expression and is fidgeting uncomfortably. There was obviously some sort of history between the two.

"Did I miss something?" I ask. I feel like a third wheel all of a sudden, which is ridiculous.

"Absolutely not Ms. Black" Mr. Gold turns to me while shifting his weight to his good leg, "I am positive Graham here told you-"

"Enough!" Graham says firmly. Mr. Gold has a smug look on his face, "Jenna, I will see you tomorrow morning"

Before I can say anything, he turns and storms off. I am beyond angry. I am about to run after him.

"Ms. Black I need to have a word with you!" Mr. Gold says firmly, his accent coming out more clearly now. For some reason, I stand there and watch Graham walk away.

I spin around on Mr. Gold. "What the hell was that about!"

"You need to be careful of secrets, Deputy" he is waving one gloved finger in my face like I was a child.

"What?" this man makes no sense.

"Walk with me please" he then turns and begins walking down the sidewalk. I roll my eyes, but that damned streak of curiosity prompts me to follow him.

"You are really are good at just popping up aren't you" I say, watching him smile faintly, "Really, it's like I have a bat watching me" Ok, that might've been a bit snarky, but I was really annoyed with him.

He snickers at my comment. "Come now, I wanted to have a word with you like two reasonable people"

"Well, what?" I am impatient to get away from him.

"It was established some time back that you owed me a favor" I feel the color drain from my face as he continues on, stopping every so often to emphasis on his words. "I know that must be a bad feeling...to owe someone. Well, you are in luck, because the time has come for you to repay what you owe me"

The fight in me is suddenly gone. I think back to the apartment and how easily I had gotten a job here and my anger dissolves. "Ok. What did I need to do?"

"Well, I am afraid it is going to be a bit more complicated than originally planned. I do apologize for that" he studies me for a moment, as if I were a specimen he wasn't to sure of.

"That's fine. What did you need me to do?"

"All of my agreements are intertwined with another, with a few exceptions" he says this slowly, I guess to make sure I understand. "If one defaults on another, well, it sets of a chain of events. I had an agreement with a young woman, a wee bit younger than you, and she's had a rather unfortunate accident as of late"

Something about this whole thing is very unsettling and I swallow nervously, half expecting him to give me a job as a drug runner.

"What kind of accident did she have?"

"Car accident, I believe"

"So, what do I need to do?" I ask him again. There is something I'm not getting and it is annoying the hell out of me.

We are now so close, even closer than Graham and I had been only a moment ago. However, the silence now is awkward. He looks me over and frowns, shaking his head at me. Disappointment mars his face. "She has the merchandise, however, it is at the hospital. I'll have someone drop off further instructions at your apartment tomorrow"

With that he turns to leave. I am left standing on the sidewalk, dumbstruck. I feel like there was something he wanted me to understand. I know he is upset with me, but over what?

Did I offend you?" I call after him, and he stops walking, but doesn't turn around. "Really, did I do something?"

"No" he voice has dropped and a nervous feeling flutters in my stomach, "You've done nothing"

* * *

><p>What's coming next: Jenna's true age shows as she learns the importance of reading contracts before signing them.<p> 


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: **All previous warnings apply here**. Any questions, comments, suggestions, always welcome.

Ok, Q/A time!

Helikesitheymikey: the original Jenna was the patron to the Charming family and was granted a special spell to be able to stay with the child forever. As for Cinderella/Ashley; for all purposes she is not in this story and would be about five months along. (she's just having a big baby). As for her warrant/forgetting, that all comes up soon enough! I don't think I'll have this go AU. Right now, I'm running on the theory that in current Storybrooke, Regina hasn't yet confirmed that Emma is Snow's daughter. It's been hinted at, but not proven yet. Here, as you mentioned, she probably looks just like her mom, so it'd be hard not to notice.

Twyla Mercedes: While Emma has something of a relationship with Rumple, (as distorted as it may be) she doesn't with Gold. You are correct in thinking that currently, she's just weirded out by him. More on that towards the end!

* * *

><p>For the first time in weeks, I am back in Rumpelstilskin's castle. Back in the gold gown, my black hair is still in ringlets. I do not want to be here this time. He is angry with me, although he won't say why. The last few times I was here, he had become suddenly distant from me.<p>

"Out with it!" I demand, trying to get his attention directed away from his spinning. "What have I done wrong! I have solved your stupid riddle, didn't I? Storybrooke is where I'm from! I have family there and soon I can start looking"

"Little Dearie, you have solved maybe a fraction of it. You are missing the bigger connection" his voice comes out in a growl. "You refuse to use any of the lessons I taught you, you're making clumsy mistakes and you deny your own magic. You truly have become dense"

"Oh whatever!" I sneer at him, "You expect to just drop me in a situation and figure it out all on my own"

"You have before. No matter the situation, you have always been resourceful" he remains calms, always so calm, "But now, you're dropping you're guard. You think you're invincible"

"Whatever. I've finally got my own place, a job, and friends" I scoff as I turn my back on him. Head held high, I feel myself swagger a bit. I have found my home and after I complete my little 'favor' in the morning, everything will be set up and I can begin my real search. "If I've become so dense, then stop bringing me here"

I turn around just in time to see him crash into me. I am roughly shoved back into a shelf, and I cry out as my lower back makes contact with the object. One hand pressed tightly to my arm, his body is pressed so close to mine. I am trapped and he is so angry with me that his dark eyes appear to be glowing.

"Now that can be arranged!" he hisses at me, free hand fluttering so close to my face that I flinch. "Oh dear child, do you think I am going to hurt you?"

I feel myself begin to panic. Breath coming out in pants, I try to us my free arm to push him off me. "Let me go! Get off me!"

"You can no longer see what's right in front of you" he is speaking through clenched teeth and it frightens me beyond belief. Crooning into my ear, he continues, "Be careful Emma, evil is all around you"

I hear him giggling as he watched me squirm in his grasp. I am so afraid that he is going to hurt me. Before I know what's going on, he has his face buried in my neck, his hot breaths sending jolts all over my body. Just like that time when he found me half dead in the forest, he begins trailing kisses up and now my neck to my collarbone. Eyes closed, I feel hot tears trickling down my face as I feel my body arch closer to his.

"Stop" I croak, and I feel him pull back.

"Stop?" his face is just inches away from mine, "Are you sure that's what you want, Emma? Last time, you weren't so…desirous to have me stop, were you?"

Eyes never leaving mine, his free hand is now trailing down my body, grabbing at the fabric. Pulling up the dress, my right leg is now exposed to the cool, night air. With his hand, he traces gentle paths down my leg, each time, getting closer and closer to that place right between my legs.

I let out a gasp as his finger begin gently rubbing my sensitive folds. I have never been touched like this, and the sensation is almost shocking. With his fingers, he slow parts my folds and is lightly stroking my clit. Every flick of his fingers pulls tremors from my body. Before I know what I am doing, my hips are bucking into his hand.

"I'll make you a deal" he whispered in my ear, sending more jolts through my body, "Say the word, and I'll stop. Say the word, and I'll keep going. The choice is yours, Emma"

I can't say anything. My breath is coming out in pants and I am moving my hips desperately against his hand. The sensation of him stroking me is becoming unbearable. Keeping my eyes shut, I cling onto his shirt as if it were a life line. Face buried into his chest, I hold onto him as I begin moaning.

"No answer?" he is nuzzling my neck again, "As you wish?"

He moves, and I think he is leaving. "Don't leave me!" my voice is desperate, but I can't help it. Everyone else has left me. He has been the only one who's been a constant in my life.

"Not answering the question yet. How about a taste then?" he says, his tone mocking. He removes his hands from me and the cold air against my body is painful. I open my eyes, and in one swift movement he is on me.

"Oh!" I let out in a gasp as his lips crashes into mine.

Using his tongue, he forces entry into my mouth. His hand is now under my leg, hiking it up around his waist, and his fingers find my sensitive clit again. His touch is much rougher than before. However this time, I feel him sink one long finger inside me. My grip on his arms becomes even tighter. The entrance is almost painful. He moves his hand as if he was withdrawing and I grab onto his lower arm.

"What's your answer, Emma?" his voice comes out in between a whisper and a growl.

I can't breathe, I can't think, let alone speak. I needed more. I wanted him to stop. I hated him! I never wanted him to leave!

"No answer, still" he says against my mouth, "Perhaps another time then"

* * *

><p>"Shit!" I cry as I lurch forward in bed. The area between my legs is now pulsing.<p>

Hair drenched in sweat, I lean forward and take heavy breaths as I try to calm myself down. My alarm clock hasn't even gone off yet. I have got to do something about this dreaming thing. Some days I think he's just my subconscious playing tricks on me, and some days I am not so sure anymore. My new cell phone is beeping. Flipping it open, I see I have a text from Graham.

'_Not going to be in this morning' _the message reads. Frowning, I think back to last night, and figure he still is probably upset. _'After you finish the morning paperwork, you can take the rest of the day off'._

I am slightly disappointed. I had wanted to ask what Mr. Gold had been implying to last night. No big deal. There will always be other times. I think back to those town files and I make a mental note to go over them tonight. I ignore the ache as I begin getting ready. I'm too chicken to go back to sleep. After jumping out of the shower and getting dressed, I hear a knock on my door. I frown. It's not even eight in the morning.

"Ms. Black" I wince as I realize it's the Mayor on my doorstep. I had half-expected it to be Mr. Gold, or even Mary Margaret.

Once again, her black her is perfectly flipped at the ends are her business suit pressed to perfection. False smile plastered on her face, I can't help but smirk in amusement at the large basket of apples in her hand that she's extending towards me. Of all the things, I really was expecting this.

"Yes, ma'am. What can I do for you?" I ask her.

"I just realized that I never stopped by to officially welcome you to Storybrooke" she says, false smile growing even larger as she extends one apple towards me, "I've had an apple tree that I've tended to ever since I was a little girl. it's a hardy tree that can survive up to extreme temperatures. And to this day, I have yet to taste anything sweeter than the fruit it brings. Stay here as long as you like. Maybe, this will be your new permanent home. Enjoy it"

I take both the apple and the basket from her. She's lying about something.

"Ms. Mills, I know you don't like me, and that's fine" I say bluntly, "I am hear to do my job and gain experience. Not pick a fight with you"

"Now whatever gave you that impression" she flinches ever so slightly, but I catch it.

"I know how to read between the lines" I say as I set the basket of apples down on the counter. I turn back to her with a small shrug. "Sorry"

She gives a roll of her eyes before she walks away from me. She has a look as if I'm not even worth her time. The corner of her lip is turned up in a way I don't like. However, I don't pay attention to the ominous woman. I finish on with my morning routine. Half an hour later, my stomach is growling. Looking over at the basket of apples I pick one up. As I head out the door to the Sheriff's department, I take a bite into the apple, thoroughly impressed on how sweet it actually is.

* * *

><p>I walk into the hospital and I can't help but wonder what sort of 'valuable merchandise' can be waiting for me here. Once I got to the Sheriff's office, there was a letter stating I was too meet a woman named Leah Barton. From there, there was directions to another address. I roll my eyes as I walk to the guest services counter. Well, he'd said she'd had an accident so I guess in a way…no, no matter which way you looked at it, this was strange.<p>

"Hi" I say brightly as I walk to the counter. There is a woman there, Aubrey. I saw her a few times when I had my shift in the hospital.

"Hi, Jenna, right?" she smiles warmly at me, "What brings you back over here?"

"I have an errand to do for a friend" I don't know why I called Mr. Gold a 'friend'. I guess him being upset with me last night, for whatever reason, bothered me more than I had thought. "I'm looking for a lady named Leah Barton"

Aubrey drops the pen in her hand and shoots a few steps away from me. "Y-yes. S-she-she's in ro-room 214!"

"Whoa!" this was not a reaction I knew what to do with, "Aubrey, what's going on?"

"I swear!" Aubrey's voice was becoming shrill and she was beginning to attract attention as he waved her hand wildly in the direction of what I guessed the room to be, "She's in there! Please! Just go!"

"Excuse me miss, are you alright" an onlooker approached and I quickly turned on my heels and walked off. Not daring to look behind me, I could hear Aubrey's heavy breathing.

'Should've read that damned contract' I thought to myself, heart in my throat as I walked toward room 214.

I pause outside as I knock on the door. I can hear some whispers going on the other side with some faint crying. Testing the door, I see that it is unlocked. I really do not want to go in. I knock again, and the room is suddenly quiet. Obviously, whomever is on the other side of the door doesn't want me inside as well. Mouth suddenly going dry, I have to do this. With shaking palms, I let myself in the room.

"Hello?" I say cautiously. At this point, I am half expecting Rumpelstilskin or even the Joker to jump out at me. I hear a couple of gasps and my eyes dart to the farthest corner of the room.

I am very confused by what I find. There is a young girl, Leah I'm guessing, in a hospital bed, a newborn clutched tightly to her. Standing guard over her is an older woman. Given the similarities in their faces, I take it this is Leah's mother. Leah, brown hair damp against her forehead, clutches the little bundle closer to her. Eyes and lip narrowing, the older woman pulls herself upright and approaches.

"So" the woman says coldly, "We've been expecting you"

"Uh, yeah" I really want to be anywhere but here. The tension is growing so thick you could practically slice it with a knife. "I'm here to pick up some merchandise"

"Merchandise!" the woman practically spits at me, "How dare you! Human beings are not merchandise! Do you understand me?"

"_What_?" I am beyond confused. I open my mouth to answer the woman, but no sound comes out.

"DON'T TAKE MY BABY!" Leah shrieks from her bed and my world begins spinning.

"We have offered to pay!" Leah's mother slams a closed fist into her high, "It was stupid deal to agree to and we have offered to double the price the break the contract!"

Leah is now shrieking so loudly that she drowns her mother out. Soon, I can't hear either Leah or her mother. Both are furiously screaming but I can no longer hear. A baby? That's what I'm suppose to get. That's his merchandise! Everything is on mute and moving in slow motion. Backing, I trip onto a desk. Ignoring the pain in my leg, I turn around and un from the room. I accidentally knock a nurse over on my way out of the hospital but I can't stop running.

* * *

><p>He was waiting for her in his shop. Trademark smirk in place, now would be the day she would defy him and win. She was certainly more than capable. Once this was successfully done, the girl would be ready to move on to her real challenge. It wasn't long before he heard the door to his shop fly open and slam, his bell ringing furiously. Finally, he could see his tool in true action.<p>

"Well if it isn't my lucky day. Jenna, were you able to retrieve my merchandise" he said as he walked out to meet her. Eyes roaming over her disheveled form, he felt his pulse rising in anticipation.

"A baby?" she said incredulously, "That's your merchandise? Why didn't you tell me?"

"On the contrary Jenna, it was laid out clearly in the contract for you. And at the time, it wasn't necessary for you to know"

She approached him. "Yeah, did you think I wasn't going to take the job?"

"I thought it was an appropriate task for you. Young girl, Leah at time was not on speaking terms with her mother. All alone and with no means to care for a baby, I offered her a deal she couldn't refuse. Otherwise, that little baby would have ended up in the system. Seeing as you had a hard time there, I figured you would've understand what a pity that would've been"

"Oh her mother was there alright, so you're lying!" the girl said defiantly, "And from what I hear, they offered to pay you double to break the contract"

"Not what I do" he said softly, "Now, when a contract, or a legal agreement is broken, I am in my full rights to take them to court"

He stopped talking and waited. With her knowledge in the police force, she should be able to figure this out easily. The girl frowned, and he half expected her to turn around and walk away. In a burst of energy, she was suddenly two inches away from him, livid and screaming!

"You fucking monster!" she shrieked, waving her arms wildly. He had to take a step back away from her. "That's sick! A baby! Of all the fucking things! Only monsters rip babies away from mothers!"

"Jenna, you need to regain control of your emotions! You need to think very carefully about this" he warned her. This was not what he had been expecting.

"Fuck you, you sick bastard!" she wailed at him. She was beyond reasoning and was ready to charge him like a mad bull.

"Jenna, I am warning you, if you continue with this tantrum I am going to call security!"

"Fuck security!" she drawled. With that, the girl stormed out.

Livid and breathless, he watched her go. The girl that had solved all those riddles, the girl who had managed to break out of a hospital, erase her record, and fended off rape had been reduced to acting like a…teenager. Regina had stopped by earlier that morning, no doubt coming from the girl's place.

"_You know Gold, when I first heard you helped her secure that officer job, I nearly fell out of chair in shock" _he remembered her saying haughtily, _"It's not like you to back a loser"_

"No, it's not" he mumbled to himself out loud.

There was no way this child was going to able to stand up to Regina. Not if she couldn't control her emotions. And if she couldn't control her emotions, then there was no way she was going to be able to do any further damage to the curse. And she had progressed so well, he thought she would've been able to fulfill her destiny now.

"Such a waste of investment" he said, shaking his head. The battle was over and it had barely even begun.

* * *

><p>Up next: Jenna finds herself on the wrong end of a contract.<p>

One more thing: I've noticed a lot of people have alerted/favorited this story. If you wouldn't mind, I need a new character, a new bad guy or a character you'd like to see go bad for the next few chapters and I'd love some suggestions. The more ideas I get, the sooner the update. :)


	14. Chapter 14

A/N; Got a few suggestions to use a character from wonderland. I have an idea for it but I don't know it'll work out. I'll do my best with it. Finally, everyone's finding the story again. Once again, I am sorry if it looked deleted as alerts never went out. Oh yeah, to the person who sent a PM about how this was too dark, please go back through the story and read the warnings.

* * *

><p>I am a mess when I finally arrive at Mary Margaret's apartment. Half way, Ruby had seen me on the side walk and offered me a ride. I was silent the entire trip.<p>

"Jenna, what happened?" I can feel Ruby push at my shoulder but I don't move or respond.

The movement we are in the parking lot, I bolt out of the car. I can hear Ruby shouting for me to wait, but I continue going.

"I'm coming!" I can hear Mary Margaret as I pound on the door. "Jenna! What happened!"

"I just found her like this!" I can hear Ruby behind me.

"He's a monster, he wan-wanted mmeee tto steal, he -wanted" my breath is coming out in short wheezy gasps, and I can't even understand what I am saying.

"Jenna! Ssshhh!" Mary Margaret grabs me by the shoulders. Finally, I am able to catch my breath. "Now, take a seat and calmly tell me what happened"

Sitting in the chair, I put my hands on my knees and breathe deeply for a minute. "He wanted me to deliver a baby"

"What do you mean?" Ruby is on the opposite side of me.

"Mr. Gold" I say flatly, and Mary Margaret's eyes widen, "I agreed to make a deal with him and-"

"And you didn't read the contract, did you?" Mary Margaret looked exasperated, "Jenna, no one makes deals with him. They never go well"

"No shit" I laughed callously, "His 'merchandise' was a baby. The fuck is he going to do with a baby"

"Jenna, I don't like cursing" Mary Margaret says, and again, I feel like a child.

"Yes mom" I say snidely, and Ruby snickers. Mary Margaret gives her a look and she is soon silent. "What's going to happen now. I sure as fu…heck am not doing that job! Do you think he'll let me do something else"

"I've never heard of him doing that" Ruby looks worried. "What did he say when you told him you weren't doing it?"

"I cursed him out, so nothing" the two are silent, blinking at me like owls. "What, I'm not scared of that creep" More wide eyed blinks. "Ok guys, what? Is he running the one man mob show here? The one man Mafia?"

"I think you'll be fine" Mary Margaret says quickly, much too quickly for my liking, "Now, how about we all get a cup of cocoa!"

I allow Mary Margaret to lead me out the door and pile into her car. Ruby is reluctant to leave, but she needs to get to the diner. Mary Margaret assures her that we will be in there within the next ten minutes.

"You'll be fine" Mary Margaret tries to soothe me. I stare directly ahead and don't say another word for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

><p>"Jenna, I went over those papers for the town's construction" Graham is telling me the next time we work together. I frown, realizing he must've gotten the papers from the mayor. "I didn't see anything in it for an asylum. There's nothing below the hospital but a basement"<p>

"Have you ever been down to the basement?" my voice comes out gruffer than I intended it to.

"Yes, and there was nothing but some old storage and electrical wiring"

"Wrong end then" I said. He gives me a look and I can feel myself growing angry. "I know what I saw! End of story! Good-bye! The end!" Eyes narrowing at a thought, I turn back to him. "Or, I don't know, did you work out some sort of deal with Mr. Gold not to tell anybody there was a basement down there?"

"Now your being ridiculous"

"What does he have on you anyways? Why did you freak out the other night? Sheesh, someone would've thought you kidnapped a baby"

He stares at me for a few moments. "You know what, I think you need a day off. Don't worry about the paper work; I'll finish it tonight. Go home and get some rest"

Feeling my face growing hot, I drop what I'm doing, grab my bag and leave the department. I know that look! He thinks I'm crazy. I storm down the street and head right for the hospital. Not surprisingly, it' still mostly empty. I walk down the hallway and the nurse from before stops me.

"Miss Jenna! How lovely to see you again! How are you liking the new job"

"Fine!" I say flatly as I step around her. The door that leads to the asylum is right in front of me.

"Were are you going! Miss Jenna! You can't go back down there!" she jumps in front of me. I am in no mood to play this game.

"Move" I warn her.

"Mayor Mills specifically told you that it was for authorized personal only" the older woman is doing her absolute best to intimidate me.

"Mayor Mills is lying to a lot of people" I speak slowly as if to a child, "And that's including the town Sheriff. Why, I wonder?"

The woman narrows her eyes at me. Eyes slipping to her name tag, it reads Ruth. "Move, or be moved"

"I am going to tell Regina"

"You do that!" I dare her. Ruth does nothing. Stepping around her, I walk to the door. "Open!" The door opens and I walk through, never realizing that I hadn't tried swiping my ID.

Backing away, Ruth, turns and runs down the hallway, no doubt to tell Mayor Mills I threatened her. Hell, if she was really creative, she'd sling a cast on her arm to tell her I assaulted her, or some other nonsense. I am walking through the basement, and I no for a fact that it's an asylum. I don't exactly know what I am looking for this time, as the only thing that greets me is silence, and the occasional random muttering heard behind the doors.

Something compels me to stop in front of door labeled **12**, at the top. Leaning down, I slide open the little door to have a look inside.

"Shit, Belle!" I jump up and begin furiously fumbling with the security code on the door. Nothing works. "Just open!"

Door magically flying open, I am soon in the room. Belle is curled in a corner, still in nothing but that old ripped gown from several weeks before. I kneel down next to her, but like before, I get no response.

"Belle!" I am in shock. How could someone pretend this isn't real. "I knew I hadn't made you up!" this gets a reaction, and Belle looks up at me. "I'm coming back here more often, and I'm bringing you a new gown! Did Ruth take care of you like she said she would? I don't know why no one believed me about this place-"

Belle puts a finger on my lips, furiously shaking her head.

"I need to be quiet? Why? The Mayor, she's lying to everyone-" another cold finger is on my lips. "What is going on?"

Leaning forward, Belle finally speaks, her voice coming out in a hoarse whisper. "The stories are true"

* * *

><p>A few days later, still shaking off the incident at the hospital, I walk into the convenience store to get some more supplies. I am down to Ramen and I'd rather eat something real. Giving the store clerk, Mr. Clark, a brief wave, I am off to do my shopping.<p>

"_The stories are true_" I can't get that voice out of my head. No one knows about that asylum. I haven't seen Graham for a couple days now, and I make a note to ask about the people who had been shipped out of this place due to mental illness. Or, I can just pay Dr. Hopper a visit. But for now, I'm just going to focus on shopping. Twirling another of Regina's apples in my hand, I had brought it along as a snack.

"Jenna, how are you" Mr. Clark says pleasantly as I bring my items up to the front.

Mr. Clarke's face suddenly crumples as he turns around and lets out a huge, body raking sneeze.

"Bless you" I can't help but smile in sympathy. Poor man, he's seemingly been suffering from allergies ever since I arrived, and that was a month and a half ago.

"Oh, thank you Jenna" He smiles back, still sniffling. He swipes my debit card through the machine. A small noise beeps from the register. Brow furrowing, he swipes it again. Nothing happens but the beep again.

"That's odd" he hands be back my card, "It's being declined"

"I cannot see why. I just put funds in there two days ago" I frown as I try to think of possibilities. "I just used it to pay rent the other day, and that might be the issue"

"That might be the reason why. I've had that happen to me before" now its his turn to smile sympathetically. "Sorry about that"

"Oh well, I'll just have to do this another day" with a small shrug, I exit the store.

It's not too bad. I still have some supplies to last me a few more days. I'll just go to the bank on Monday and make sure everything's all set correctly. I've seen it happen to my father where he would make huge transactions and all of a sudden, his bank would cut his card off for a few days, just to be on the safe side. In any sense, there's not much I can do about it now anyways. Walking down the side walk, I can't help but grin as I think how everything is still running so smoothly here. Apple in hand, I take a bite, savoring once again how sweet the fruit was. The mayor might be a bit of a hardass, but at least she could grow a wicked apple.

Passing along, I cross the street where that dreaded pawn shop is. That's the problem with walking everywhere is it seems no matter what intersection I pass by, I always end up near HIS place. I pass by his shop, and keeping my eyes averted, I quicken my pace. Shivering, I hug my arms to my body and continue with my faster walking pace. It's been nearly a week since the incident and I haven't seen him since. I think it'll just go away. Not paying attention to where I am walking, I turn a sharp corner-

-walking straight into the one man I've been trying to avoid.

My body automatically tenses as I try and put as much distance between us. Eyes raking over my defensive posture, his sharp features tighten into a smirk. My own lips form a scowl. I feel very self conscious with my old sweater and tattered jeans next to his thousand dollar suit. For a moment, everything freezes as we stare at one another, neither of us willing to back down. I am first to break eye contact.

"Well, Miss Black, this is my lucky day" to my ears it almost sounds like a hiss, "I've been meaning to pop by your apartment for a quick chat, but this is so. Much. More. Convenient"

"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, and for that, I'm sorry"

"You broke our agreement" he says this in very matter-of-fact way.

"Look, I'm not doing a job like that" I said, "I can do another job, just not that"

"Yes, you made it quite clear you are not interested in doing the favor" Mr. Gold's shark-like sneer only grows, "And now, not only do you owe me a favor, you now owe me a debt. In backing out of our agreement, your debt to me has only grown"

"Debt?" I said incredulously, "I don't owe you money. It's a favor. That was the agreement. Money was never mentioned"

"Rules have changed now" he leans in closer to me. His face is a curious study; it would look innocent except for the smoldering anger behind them, "Because you failed to deliver my merchandise, it forced me to default on another agreement of mine. A default that had to come out of my own pocket"

"Merchandise!" I stab a pointed finger into his chest, causing him to flinch as he jerks away from my touch, "It was a fucking baby! Babies. Are. Not. Merchandise! Especially when a mother obviously wants to keep it!"

"Ms. Barton and I had an arrangement worked out beforehand" he all but snarled. It can't help but notice that the angrier he gets, the more his accent stands out, "That she wanted to default on it was none of your concern"

"You're sick!"

"Business, dear" There's a small, flamboyant twist of his body, even though he uses the cane for support. I'm getting the idea that it's just for show.

As if reading my thoughts, his eyes light up as he hobbles closer to me. Somehow refusing to move, I let him get close enough that he is nearly whispering in my ear.

"I don't think you truly understand just what I am capable of. No one breaks a deal with me"

My heart is pounding in my chest and my breathing has become erratic. For the first time, I understand the word fear. Even when Mr. Allen had knocked me to the ground, I hadn't been afraid. Eyes dropping to my neck, I wonder if he can see my pulse pounding. My body still refuses to cooperate, and I stand stark still.

"Well Ms. Black, it looks like you agreed to a deal that you didn't understand" his grin is now almost predatory, "I am confident that next time, you will not make the same mistake"

He meets my eyes one more time. The click of his heavy cane out on the sidewalk suddenly jerks my body back to life and I quickly put a few feet between us. He is staring at me with an amused grin.

"Provided that there is, indeed, a next time" his accent makes the words sound very menacing and my eyes grow wide. "I believe you know my correct office hours. Pop in once you are ready to pay what you owe me"

With that, he turns and walks away, his slow, deliberating walk. I watch him go a for moment before I turn around and take off in a run. I sprint all the way back to my apartment complex and dash up the two floors of stairs. It is not until I sink into corner of my bed that I allow myself to breathe.

'Its just an act' I try to soothe myself, 'He can't really do anything to me! He's just trying to scare me. He's just a creepy old man

I keep my eyes closed and force my breathing to slow down. My heart is racing, most likely from my Olympic runner stunt. The phone vibrates next to me, making my heart jump again. The phone is now wildly vibrating again. Deciding not to answer the phone for the rest of the day, I quickly turn it off.

'Its probably just Gold' I think to myself as I pick myself off the floor and head into the bedroom. Feeling completely drained, I allow myself to slink into bed and in no time, I am in a deep sleep. I sleep for almost twelve hours.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Got another fairytale quote from Jiminy Cricket. Usual disclaimer applies.

* * *

><p>I am awoken at eight in the morning by a loud pounding on the door. Rubbing my eyes, I wince as the person now begun ringing the doorbell.<p>

"I'm coming!" I shout, hoping the person at the door would give it a rest.

Yanking open the front door, my eyes squint at the sudden rush of light. It takes a minute to register that one of the neighbor hood security guards to glaring down at me. A piece of white paper is in his hands, and he holds it out to me.

"This is from the manager's office" he says to as I take the paper from him. It is taped together.

"What is it?" I ask as I open it. The paper requests that I come into the office as soon as possible.

"Don't know" the security guard says with a shrug. "They were just very adamant that you come in as soon as possible"

"No problem" I say. He gives a slight nod and walks off. I shrug slightly as I head back inside.

I'm not to worried about the notice. It's probably about the night where I was blasting my music and how I need to keep it down more. Reaching for the cupboard, I grab a Pop Tart and get some clothes ready for the day. Not feeling all too motivated to move just yet, I sink into my chair with a magazine and finish my Pop Tarts.

It was almost 11:30am when I finally dragged myself out of the apartment. It was an absolutely beautiful day out. Unlike yesterday, which had been so grey and cloudy. I am confident that today will be a better one. The little bells chimes as I enter the small office and take a seat. I wait for about a minute, and I see the apartment manager, Mr. Jean come out.

"Ms. Black" he says with obvious false enthusiasm, "Just the person I wanted to see"

"I just got the notice that I needed to stop in" I say as I get up and approach the desk, "What did you need to see me about?"

"Your payment for rent was rejected" he says as he leans over the desk to look me straight in the eye, "It didn't go through. As of right now, you have a balance that needs to be tended to immediately"

I wrinkled my nose in frustration. This was not what I had been expecting. "What do you mean it didn't go through?"

"Ma'am, you'll have to check with your bank as to why the funds were rejected. I can't see why, except that your card was declined'

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration. "Ok, then what about my rent? What about my apartment?"

The man's eyes practically gleamed as he sneered down at me. "Well, as you know, per the contract you signed with us, after five days of being unable to collect rent, we charge an additional twenty-five dollars in late fees. That's per day. So, as it stands, you are two days after that five day period. You now owe rent, and an additional fifty dollars"

"I wasn't informed of this till today though!" I am nearly in tears now. "But it's Sunday, so the bank is closed for today!"

"I am so sorry, but it sometimes takes three to four business days for all of our transactions to post. Sometimes, it might take longer than that"

There is nothing more I can do. I am beyond frustrated. "I can't pay my rent, then another $75! That's not fair!"

"You signed the agreement. Welcome to responsibility. Have a good day" I can't believe I have so easily dismissed. With that, he turns his back and walks out of the office.

"No, no, no, you do not turn your back on me!" I am so angry that I walk around the desk and follow him into the back office"

Eyes widening in annoyance, the man yanks out his black cell phone. "Miss, you need to turn around and leave, unless you are able to provide the funds right now! If you do not leave, I will have security, escort you out!"

"Who is the manager of this place? Who is your boss!" I demand.

The man cracks a half-smile and my insides grow cold. "It's Mr. Gold. Surely you knew that"

I can feel the color drain from my face. I don't remember what I said to Mr. Jean but I know it wasn't pleasant. Before he can even flip open his cell phone, I storm out of the office. This is clearly harassment. I need a minute to think. I storm down the main street to head straight for Granny's. The clock on the tower rings, signaling that its now noon. I need a coffee. Hell, I need a whiskey! That it only being noon be damned!

I stomp into Granny's and make my way for the bar. Thankfully, only a handful of people are in the little diner. There is only one other person sitting up there, an old man reading a newspaper. He turns to me as I pull out my seat. I attempt to smile but all he does is curl up his lip at me. He picks up his coffee and his newspaper and promptly moves to the other side of the bar.

'Alrighty then' I think to myself as I wait for Granny to turn towards me so I can order my well deserved drink.

"Sorry to keep you waiting hun. What can I-"Granny pauses when she sees that its me sitting on the stool. "Oh! Jenna!"

"Hey. Are you okay?" the old woman is nervously wringing her hands through her apron as she stares at me with a peculiar look.

"Oh! Of course" Granny chokes out as she tries to laugh, "Yes! Yes! Just a long day. What can I get for you?"

"I feel like an alcoholic for ordering this at this time of day, but I need a whiskey"

Granny is studying me so intensely for a few minutes that I almost take back the order. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she finally came back to life. "Oh! Oh yes dear, my, I just need to see your ID first"

I pull the ID out of my wallet and let her examine it for a minute before she sets it down and walks back to get my drink. I close my eyes and try to force myself to relax. The hair on the back of my neck pricks up and I know I'm being watched. Turning to the other side of the bar, the old man is now staring at me almost as intently as Granny had been. This time, I am in no mood to force pleasantries.

"Hi!" I say loudly.

This earns a few more head turns in my general direction. I am done caring. Feeling my temper rising, I stare down the man. Instead of curling his lips again, like I expected him too, he picked up his paper to leave. He passed by me, and our eyes met again. His eyes were so sad, and he gave me a little sympathetic wince as Granny came back with my drink.

She is staring at me with the most peculiar look. I feel like some sort of specimen in a science lab. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice that a few other people are staring at me too, then turning back to their table mates in hushed whispers. I finish my drink in a few gulps, leave the money for Granny and storm out of the diner. I don't have time for this crap. I mean, Storybrooke has always been weird, but this too much even for me to handle. Remembering the fuss i made over the asylum, i set off down the main street.

* * *

><p>"Jenna!" the psychiatrist is giving me a surprised look when he sees its me banging on his door, "What can I do-!"<p>

"You covered all of the psychiatric cases here, haven't you?" I barge through the door past him. Turing on my heels, I look the startled man directly in the eye, "Do you know about the town's asylum"

His eyes widen ever so slightly.

"Good!" I crow I as slump on to his black couch, arms folded over my knees, "Now I want you to tell me about it!"

"Jenna, I never said anything about an-"

"Didn't need to! Your face says it all!"

He sits on a chair in front of me, his eyes trying to analyze my face.

"Why is it such a taboo to talk about?"

"Not a taboo" he corrects me, "Mayor Mills didn't want the taint on the town's sterling reputation."

"Not even Graham knows" I am very annoyed at this point. "Of all people, shouldn't the town Sheriff know!"

"Its been a very well guarded, 'secret'. I only know because I was there to help evaluate them after the wreck. Since then, I had to have the files locked away. Mayor Mills doesn't want anyone to know. Several years back, there was an old mine shaft. Several people went into it and there was an accident. Most died, and the few who survived came back different"

"What do you mean by different?"

He is very nervous to go on, so I have to wait for a few minutes. "They came back in a state of deep shock, muttering about stories and past lives. One by one, they each displayed signs of post traumatic stress disorder. All suffered from severe psychosis of the mind. They thought they were story book characters"

"Was there any chemicals in the mine?" I prod him. No answer. "Were they suffering from bad LSD trips?"

"Jenna!" he balks at me, "Don't make fun of these people"

"Oh come on! A group of people get trapped in a mine shaft and come out babbling the same story. Yeah, that's not suspicious!"

"Once, they were normal but whatever happened in that mine eventually led to them having everything they loved torn away from them! Learn some tact"

"What did the reports say? Where are the old newspaper clippings. You can't possibly try to tell me that this just slipped people's minds as the years pass on" he is still silent. "Ok, maybe it did!"

"Jenna, this isn't a joking matter"

"Well, no one answers me!" I huff, "I caught someone here mistreating a patient and I nearly got in trouble for making him leave her alone? Why? Is it Regina? What is it with that woman anyways?"

"Regina is…complicated." he says with a slight wince.

"Great, your afraid of her too"

"Jenna, what are you doing here?" he is now staring at me.

"I took a wrong turn and needed a place to stay and you gave me directions to an inn, who then gave me directions to a diner where I met some real friends"

"No. What are you really doing here?"

"Well, I have a hunch that this is where I'm from" I am honest about this, "But I just haven't had a chance to look since…hey! No, this isn't time to psychoanalyze me!"

"Jenna, rumor has it you broke a deal with Mr. Gold. No one has ever broken a deal with Mr. Gold and stayed in Storybrooke"

"My, word loves traveling around hear" I say sarcastically, "That was only just yesterday. And for our 'mob', I'll be more than happy to break one of his sick deals!"

"Jenna-"

"I mean really, have you ever had to make a deal with him. Sheesh, where's the man's conscious!"

"A conscience is that still small voice that people won't listen to" Dr. Hopper trails off.

I frown. "Jiminy Cricket" his eyes suddenly snap back to mine. I can't help but chuckle. "Really? You're quoting the Cricket"

"Sorry" he said quickly, "Professional habit. I want everyone to be able to see their conscience, so that's who I go off of when I'm trying to relate to someone. Are you a fan of story books?"

"Well, I got this one from a friend" I say with a shrug, "I just haven't read it in a while"

He rubs his chin for a moment. He is about to say something but then my cell phone goes off. Flipping it open, it's Graham.

"Yeah" I say nonchalantly.

"Jenna! We have a situation and I need you hear!"

"Whoa, what's going on?" I want to know.

"Some lunatic has broken into some of the vaults!" his voice is very frantic and breathless, "He's now at the town square and he has a couple people hostage!"

I jump to my feet. I didn't bring my car, but I can make it if I sprint. "Ok, give me ten-"

"We don't have ten I need you here now if not sooner!"

"Ok!" Flipping off the phone, I look back at Dr. Hopper.

"Take my keys!" he says, shoving his keys at me, "My car is the old green Buick, you can't miss it!" With a hand on my back, he steers me out of his office, "The key to the car is the big black one! Don't ask me, because yes, I'm fine with it!"

Stunned, I turn to look back at him one more time, but he quickly shoos me off. Keys in hand, I sprint down the hallways and soon, I am making a mad dash towards the parking lot.

* * *

><p>Up next: Jenna earns the title of Deputy.<p> 


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: more quotes here. Went with my favorite suggestion, and I hope everyone likes it because I wouldn't have thought of it myself. Usual disclaimer applies.

* * *

><p>Swerving in and out of traffic, I am at the sight in less than five minutes. There is large crowd in front of the town office. Police are everywhere trying to keep the crowds back. Graham is moving behind the lines, face pinched in worry as he walks back and forth on his phone. Angrily, he snaps it shut.<p>

"Graham, what's going on?" I am instantly at his side.

"Oh Jenna thank goodness" he grabs my shoulders, "Do you know someone by the name of Mathew Bartholomew?"

"Who?"

"He and several others were found in the mines the other day and they were escorted off property He began talking about stories and he made threats towards Regina. He was secured a spot in the McLean Hospital in Massachusetts. He was suppose to be transported their but earlier today, he broke loose from his holding cell"

I vaguely remembering filling out the paperwork for the man. If I remembered correctly, he was in training to be a guidance counselor at one of the local high schools.

"In any sense" Graham is speaking so fast it is hard to keep up with him, "He has five others with him. Regina and four others are being held hostage"

"Who else is in there?"

"Sydney Glass from the Daily Mirror and some of his staff"

"What does the guy want?"

"He won't tell me" Graham is now running his hands through his hair in exasperation, "He says I'm too tainted by Regina to listen to him. He wants to talk to you. Inside. Alone"

"Uh, any particular reason why me?"

"He said that because you're a stranger, you haven't been under her influence long enough"

'I get to talk to an insane guy. Just peachy' I thought to myself.

"You don't have to do this" Graham tries to reassure me, "I have a team scouting the property looking for entrances"

I slap him on the arm. "Eh, I'm not afraid"

"Jenna, the man is crazy and he is threatening to harm the people inside. His men have guns and they have been placed at different windows. There's four in the room and two others throughout the building. One of the police have been shot already. I don't want you hurt"

"Yeah, but this is necessary" I say with another shrug.

He says nothing but looks at me for a moment. With a shrug, I slip past him. Several of the onlookers are staring at me. I stare at the entrance to the building and I feel myself shiver.

'_Don't worry, little dearie' _I hear a familiar giggle in my ear, _'You're not alone'_

I stop and swiftly turn, heart in my throat, expecting to see Rumpelstilskin. But the person who is closest to me turns out to be none other than Mr. Gold, who has joined the onlookers. With his black business suit and red tie, he is easy to pick out from the rest of the crowd. Heart racing, he and I lock eyes for a moment.

"Deputy, I must speak with you later" he says as he turns to go. "Oh, and good luck" With a slight wave, he limps off.

Swallowing, I turn away and jog up the remaining steps. I have never been in the Mayor's office and it is a lot larger than I had expected. Everywhere, there are large plastered pictures of apples. There's a creek behind me. Slowly, I turn around to find a man with a large pipe in his mouth staring at me. There is a gun in his hand. With his free hand, he removes the pipe and blows a smoke ring in my face. Gun still pointing at me, he points to the door at the end of the hallway. I give him a strange look, but a crash from down the hallway, prompts me to keep moving. I make a note to come back to this guy later.

Prying the doors open, I see a man at the end of the room dressed in a bright blue sparkling jacket. There's a strangled cry and I see he has Regina's neck in his hand.

"Do you get off from watching people suffer?" he snarls at, shaking her while he's doing this. There is one other man in the room. Graham said there were more, so they must be watching from hidden areas. I have to keep my cool about this.

The man in the blue jack then raises a knife to Regina's face. Her eyes remain plastered open and she somehow manages to glare at her attacker.

"Stop!" I shout at the man.

The knife drops, and so does Regina. With a loud oomph!, she is on the floor. Blue sparkled leather jacket twinkling, he turns, his black heeled shoes making a slight tap. He is almost too pretty. His hair is brown, but his bangs are dyed purple and sweep over the side of his face in an artful way. His eyes are highlighted by charcoal eye liner. His lips are also outlined, but the color goes up the sides of his face, giving him the look of a perpetual grin. Eyes fallen to his side, I take in a deep breath when I see what looks like to be a glove of claws on his left hand, reminding me of Freddy Krueger.

"Ooohhhh!" he turns away from the fallen mayor and advances towards me, his free hand sweeping everywhere. Somehow, his grin manages to grow even wider. "I was hoping you'd show up. Let's have a look at you"

He gets closer, and I notice that one eye is amber and the other is green. I don't move as he gets right in my face. Eyes twinkling, he raises his clawed hand to my face, the barbed end lightly running against my face as he circles around me. I don't move, and he lets out a high pitched cackle as he twirls in a circle.

"Very pretty, very pretty" he approves, "You're one of those beauties you have to take one or two looks at. The first look never does you justice"

"Who are you? What is it you wanted" I demand.

"Oh!" his arms pinch together and his mouth drops in an O. "How could you not know what I want. I was just about to do what I wanted till you came in hear with your 'stop'!" he mimics my stomp in here and I feel myself flush. "I needed to get some records from our sssweeettt mayor. One would think I was doing something wrong. Ha ha!"

"Rumpelstilskin?" I whisper.

He grins at me, but it's a different grin. His voice drops another octave and his face is so close to mine. "Do I look like your pet imp?"

I am speechless for a second. Could it be possible that he knew about that? There no logic behind it. "Where you one of the people from the mines?"

"The mines! Oh dear child" he raises his hands and cups my face in his hands, barbed wired nails dangerously close to my eye. I freeze as he presses his forehead next to mine. "The stories are true"

I take a sharp breath. That's exactly what Belle had said! He pulls away, still cupping my cheeks.

"You look just like your mother" he whispers. Then his nose crinkles and he lifts up my dark locks. "Except for the hair. Your hair should be your father's coloring"

"Your insane" I whisper. This is some sort of sick game, "Your just some sick dog"

He frowns. "Most unpleasant metaphor. Please avoid it in the future" He makes a face at me and taps one barbed nail against my lip. "Now now, you came to me hoping to bargain for these people"

"What do you want?" I ask him again.

He flashes another wide, toothy grin at me. "My my, your more ignorant than I had thought you'd be. If ignorance is bliss, than you must be ecstatic"

Something clicks in my head. "The Cheshire Cat? You think you're the Cheshire Cat, don't you?"

"Oh, I don't think, I know" he giggles as his shoulders hunch up to the sides of his face, "My, you were taught well" He sweeps a formal bow, "Call me Chess, little lady"

"Do something!" Regina's normally calm voice is cracking. Looking around me, several more men have arrived in the room, all with knives. The man in front of me turns away from me. I look around, weighing my options. It would be four against me.

"Ooohhh, shush your majesty" Chess has now pulled out another knife from one of his many pockets, "No wait, your not the true Queen are you?"

Yanking Regina up by her hair, she lets out a yip, and once again the knife is in her face. Her hands fly to the back of her head. I only have a few minutes to react. Sidney Glass moves, and the other two men put knives in his face. The three other people in the room are still huddled in the corner, too afraid too move even though only one man is guarding them.

"Don't do it!" I yell at him.

In a flash, he whirls around to face me, Regina still in hand, her face twisting in pain. "You're here to save us. How did you end up on the wrong side?"

One of his men points a hand gun at me, which seems to irritate him.

"Nuh, uh, no!" he says, gloved hand going in the air, "No shooting her. Beat her, tie her up, whip her, but no killing her" He presses his face against Regina's neck and lets out a low laugh, "Now this one on the other hand-"

"Deputy, you need to do something!" Regina screams at me.

"Let her go!" I have to reach this man before this turns deadly. "You need to stop and let her go"

He rolls his eyes toward the ceiling with a large huff. "Gents; please give this girl a spanking"

One of the men comes at me. He is a tall, skinny man and as I predicted, his first move is to try and slap me. Wrong move.

Ducking underneath his arm, I twist around and pin it with my arm against my body, one knee coming up to strike him in the stomach. He lurches forward at the contact. My free hand makes contact with the back of his head and he is on the ground within minutes.

"Look out!" a woman shrieks.

A smaller, much rounder man with impossibly white hair is now on me. Yanking me by my hair, I am soon on the ground under him. He slaps me and for a moment I see stars. Lifting my leg, I place my knee between me and his chest and begin to pry him off me. The grip on my hair is almost painful and for a moment, my world begins to fade. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I manage to get one foot in his face and I send him sailing across the room. He smashes into a vase. He blinks at me before toppling over.

The room is now flying around me, Sydney, finally finding his manhood, has the other man in a head lock. The other three hostages are on the two fallen men who were trying to get up. Looking up, Chess gives a smirk as he throws Regina across the room and makes a dash for the exit. His men have been subdued and Sydney is standing guard over Regina as he wipes the blood she got from her fall. There is a shot outside.

"Jenna!" Graham shouts from outside. Racing towards the window, I see he has another man on the ground. It must've been one of the other men who shot the officer. The police have begun wildly waving the crowd away.

Nodding, I turn around and make a dash after Chess. He isn't far ahead of me. The man with the pipe is right behind him and they run out a back door. I am right behind them.

"Jenna wait!" Graham is now running after us.

People in the streets part, giving room for the men to run. Women scream and clutch walls, but no one stops to think to help. Chess and his man continue running down to an empty part of the town away from the crowds. Graham and I refuse to quit, both of us running. Suddenly, they split. Before, Graham can say anything, I swerve off after Chess.

"No! Jenna! Stay toge-! Argg!" I can hear Graham give a frustrated grunt as he turns and heads after the other man.

Chess is now right in front of me and I silently will my arms to pump faster. We are now running in an apartment area I am unfamiliar with. There no people and there is trash everywhere. Chess turns a corner, and am almost on top of him-

-but then he's gone. Hands on my knees, I struggle to catch my breath, trying to figure out how the hell do you lose a man dressed in bight blue glittered jacket. I turn, but it's as if he's disappeared. There is crackle behind me and I know I am dead wrong.

"Don't turn around" I hear Chess chuckle lightly, still panting from lack of breath. I hear the click of a gun. "So much like your father. Your mother's looks, but your father's reaction to jump into something without thinking out the consequences. Mad as the both of them. But then again, almost everyone here's mad anyways. Now, I need you to answer just one question. Answer correctly, and I'll let you go"

"What?"

"Can you stand on your head?" I hear him giggle. I don't say anything. "Too bad"

I brace myself as I hear the gun click again, silently praying for Graham to come. There is a loud whack behind me and a shot fires.

"Oh!" I fall, startled as the bullet made contact with the trash can next to me.

I stay against the cold ground for a moment, not daring to breathe. Flipping to my side, I let out a startled gasp to see Chess on the ground, purple bangs falling across his eyes. Eyes roaming upward, I see the man who has knocked over Chess.

"Well done, Deputy" it is Mr. Gold and I feel my heart begin to race. He is smirking at me again, and is still so calm, cane placed in front of him, "And it now appears you owe me another favor"

Crawling over to Chess, I check to make sure he's still alive. He's only knocked unconscious. I take away his gun before glaring up at Mr. Gold.

"Oh no" I say loudly, "That one was all you"

"No, 'thank you', I see" he says with a slight ruffle of his shoulder and looks away from me. "That's fine. Couldn't have him killing off someone who owed me a debt. I'd never see my money again if that happened and that would be most unfortunate"

"You threatened me" I growled at him, feeling ridiculous on all fours.

"Its business dear, like I've told you" he gives me another half smile, "Don't think our deal has been forgotten in light of this interesting distraction"

"What are you doing out here anyways?"

"Collecting debts" he says this piously.

I roll my eyes. Still on the ground, I run my hands through the fallen man's jacket to remove any other hidden weapons. I am a sweaty mess, my hair frizzy and all over my face. There is a blur of movement and Mr. Gold is suddenly on the ground across from me. I freeze. Both of us are now huddled over Chess's body.

"What do you want from me?" my voice is coming out in nothing more but a squeak.

"I don't know just yet" his voice is very low and I have to strain to hear him, "Sometimes I think you are so close to failing"

"Failing what?"

With a slight shake of his head, he almost gives a real smile. For some reason, my mind drifts off to my latest 'dream', and I can feel myself flushing red. Taking this as permission, he extends one gloved hand to my face and wipes the hair out of my eyes again like he did that time in his shop. Only this time, he cups the back of my hand and pulls me closer so that I am leaning right over Chess's body. I feel myself begin to shake. I can't remember when was the last time I was this close to another real person.

"You're call" he is now looking at with such an intensity that I can't move or speak.

There is a loud crunching sound followed by sirens. Snapping out of my trance, I jump wildly to my feet, heart pounding in my throat.

"Jenna" Graham comes from a corner, "Don't do that again! Next time, we stay together!"

"Right" I say, holding my arms close to my body, "Well, I wasn't-" I trail off as I look behind me. There is no one but Chess.

"You did it!" Graham smiles at me as Chess begins to groan from the ground, "Jenna, you caught him"

I smile a thin smile as several other people arrives. He wraps an arm around my shoulder and leads me to an awaiting car.

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><p>Probably going on a brief hiatus. Want to catch up with some of my other stories before i continue with this one.<p> 


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: And I'm back. Caught up with my other stories for the moment. In future chapters, looks like there's going to be more flashbacks. Wow, this story has really developed a mind of its own. Almost towards the end.

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><p>I am standing in the Sheriff's Department. After the chase incident, I find the first bathroom to try and clean myself up so I can at least look presentable. I am a sweaty mess. Graham has run down to Granny's for me and put my torn, bloody clothes in the wash for me. I'm in a pair of extra clothes that are a little to big for me, and he struggles not to laugh when he arrives. After a quick filing of the paperwork, he dismisses me and sends me back home, saying I can come in for an hour or two tomorrow to get everything filed. He mumbles something about needing an extra holding cell for the rest of Chess's men when they arrive. He doesn't want them all in the same room. And I am to stay away from Chess, Mathew, or whomever he really is. That's not going to work as I have some questions I need to ask him.<p>

Back in my apartment that night, I drag out my old book from my childhood and begin flipping through it. There is something not right about this town, and my earlier talk with Archie about the mines has me unsettled. They all came out thinking they were fairy tale creatures and were forced to leave Storybrooke? The whole thing is strange, and I make a note to go down to the Library on my next day off and rent some of the old fairytale books. I want to compare their stories to this, and I want to see if I can find where Miss Jenna originally got this book from. I stifle back a yawn. I haven't been sleeping much. I'm still to scared to face Rumpelstiltskin.

The next morning, I fight off fatigue as I head to the Sheriff's Department, opting to walk again. The place is slammed full with people, buzzing from the excitement yesterday. Behind me, one of Chess's men is shouting and my mood sours instantly as I turn towards the back of the office. Graham is now busy dealing with the police right now and eager reporters. No one even sees me walk away from the crowd towards the back of the holding cell. I find Chess just sitting there, face forward, staring at the wall. There is a small trail of dried blood trailing down from Chess's hairline from where Mr. Gold had hit him. There is also a trail of black running down his face from where his eye liner has run. Standing in front of the cell, we are all alone in the room. Eyes darting towards me, he smirks slightly with a roll of his eyes.

"Hey you!" I snap at him, arms folded in front of my chest, "You said you know who my parents are. Well, are you going to tell me?"

He gives a soft laugh, which infuriates the hell out of me.

"Excuse me!" I have to be careful not to raise my voice so I don't snare anyone's attention, "There had to be a point for you to demand to see me yesterday. Are you going to answer me or not?"

Again, nothing. Advancing towards the cell, I am about to say something else. In a whirl, he is suddenly on his feet, body pressed close to the bars. I freeze.

"I've met your father" Chess said, his grin going crazy, his purple bangs glued to his right eye from sweat, "As I've mentioned, you are just like him. You both believe you can have everything. And yet, you are so, so dull"

"How am I dull?" I snicker at him, "You're a nut who thinks he's a cat!"

He lets out another strange, soft laugh. Something about it is so familiar, but I can't quite remember where. He rises to his feet and is now staring directly at me.

"I lost you once" his voice grows wistful, which throws me off guard, "I lost you in a deal"

His expression is so sad, and this makes me feel more nervous.

"Come here" he strains against the bar as he reaches a hand out towards me. I take a step backwards, and he makes a choking sound in the back of his throat.

"Strange" he cocks his head to the right as he stares at me, "You let the imp touch you, but you are repulsed by me"

"How the hell did you get that information?" I can hear myself snarl at him.

"How the _hell _do you think…little dearie" The wind is knocked out of me and for a moment, why world goes upside down. There is a loud crash behind, sending me forward in a startled jump. Fast as lightning, Chess shoots a hand forward and before I know what's happening, he has me by the shirt and drags me to him. Cold bars pressed my face, he wraps his free arm around my waist.

"Get off me!" I shriek, no doubt alerting the others.

"So, Rumpelstiltskin's little dearie is afraid of me" his smile is so large it can't be human. He lets out a snort, free hand on my cheek, hot breath blowing in my face, "That's so sad. I would've loved you. He won't save you. But I, I would've. Do you want to know who he is?"

"Let me go you sick freak!" I shout, doing my best to strike him.

"Don't let her take me from here" Chess's voice has gone from dangerous to pleading in a matter of seconds, "If I leave, I die! Don't let them take me!"

"Get off her!" strong hands are wrapped around me shoulders are prying me backwards.

"No! She's mine!" Chess is near frantic as he grip around me tightens, pulling me closer against the bar, "She has to save me!"

A fist goes flying past my face and Chess drops to the ground. Turning, I see Graham behind me, arms breaking my fall.

"Why did you go near him again?" Graham demands to know, hands still clutching my shoulder,

"He said he knew my parents!" I can feel hot tears threaten to pour down my face.

"Oh, Jenna!" his face become bewildered, "He was probably only just saying that. And what does he think you're saving him from?"

"I don't know!" I take several deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. He knows about my dreams. _He knows!_

"Jenna, your shaking like a leaf" Graham suddenly grows concerned. I don't want to say anything else, lest I burst out the entire tale. "I think it's best we get you home"

"Yes, I think that is the best idea" a cold voice says behind me. Turing around, I see Mayor Mills standing behind me. The cut on her face bandaged, she still manages to smirk. "Deputy, job well done. I will speak with you tomorrow." Eyes darting back to Graham and then to me again, her expression becomes even more hostile. "Both of you. Tomorrow at five"

She gives me one last icy smile and she moves past me.

"Regina, what are you doing?" Graham wants to know as she waves everyone out of the room.

Eyes meeting Chess's, her expression becomes even tighter. "I want to have a word with my captor. Everyone out of the room"

Graham tries to say something, but Regina waves him off. Chess is standing again, eyes locked with Regina's, hands by his sides, closed into fists. Tension is mounting by the minute. Hand around my shoulder, Graham leads me to the door. I am silent again.

"Jenna, are you ok?" Graham asks me as he drives me back to my apartment, "I'm still impressed by your actions the other day. I am amazed you caught that man all by yourself"

I say nothing as I stare out the window. The memory of Mr. Gold knocking Chess out flashes in my mind, and I feel a tightness in my chest. As my mind trails off to Mr. Gold again, I remember my apartment and the 'late' fee. The bank would be open today and that needs to be resolved.

"Would you mind dropping me off at the bank please?" my voice sounds very distant.

"Sure thing" Graham makes a quick turn and we are soon at the bank. I still remain silent. Pulling into the parking lot, he turns towards me again. "Would you like me to wait out here for you?"

He is so close to me, his hand brushing mine.

"I think I'll be fine, thank you" I say quickly. I don't want him to know about my rent situation. However, by the way the town goes, I will be surprised if it isn't posted in The Daily Mirror tomorrow.

"Are you sure" he really doesn't want to leave, "You don't live far from here"

"I just need to get something from the bank, and then I'll walk home" I say calmly, silently cursing myself and this embarrassing situation, "I'll see you tomorrow"

He gives me a half-hearted wave as I turn to leave. I am afraid to look back as I hear his car leave. Mind in a haze, I walk towards the bank, fumbling with some papers. I am not looking where I am going.

"Morning deputy" I hear a low, Scottish accent next to me.

Hands flying everywhere from the shock, I look up to see Mr. Gold (again), standing directly in front of me. Once again, he has his smirk in place.

"You again" I roll my eyes.

"I did say I needed to have a word with you later" he says innocently, "When I saw you walking by, I figured why not now"

"Can't it wait" I say as I bend down to get my fallen papers which have begun to scatter with the wind. He just stands over me and watches "You know, a gentlemen always helps a lady pick up dropped items!"

"Really!" He puts hand on his chest is a false show of surprise, "Well, as we both know, I am no gentlemen"

I pull myself back up to my feet to look him straight in the eye. "Well, I already figured that out" I say sarcastically.

"Alright, I see you are in no mood to talk" he says with another of his flamboyant twists, "I'll stop by your apartment tomorrow morning"

He moves to the side to let me pass. Gathering my papers, I walk towards the bank.

"Oh, deputy" I hear him call out and I brace myself, expecting another round of verbal sparring. Turning around, he maneuvers himself towards me, his hand outstretched. "You dropped your wallet"

Face flashing crimson red, I mumble something as I snatch the wallet roughly away from him and dart inside. As I hand the bank teller my information, I look behind me to see if he is still outside. Thankfully, he isn't.

"Excuse me, Ms. Black" the teller says, grabbing my attention, "But what is it you'd like to do today?"

"Oh, sorry" I say as I snap back around towards him, "I need to make a withdrawal" I am not happy about this. In order to pay off my rent and my 'late' fee, it's going to cost me the rest of my savings. I'll be living off ramen and Regina's apples for the next two weeks.

The teller frowns. "I do apologize ma'am, but it looks like there is a hold on your account"

"What! How can there be a hold?"

"It looks like there was some fraudulent activity not to long ago. I apologize, but it is on hold while our finance team reviews this"

"Excuse me but no" my voice is going shrill, "I need that money for my rent"

"Ma'am, it looked like a fraud on our end, and we have one our lawyers investigating this right now and it was stated clearly that there was to be no activity on your account until further notice" the teller is still so calm, "I've seen this happen before. It usually takes five to seven business days for the hold to drop off"

I raise my eyebrows. "Oh really? That's perfect for my landlord! Now, he can double my late fee. Can I close my account?"

"No, ma'am, I am afraid not"

"And whose the lawyer for this place?"

"It's Mr. Gold. He just stopped by to review your account earlier today"

"Oh of course he did!" I snap as I snatch my information away from the teller.

I barely remember walking back to my apartment. I am not sure what to do. My supplies are beginning to run thin and I do not want to ask for help. With Mr. Gold freezing my account, my late fee only goes higher. And since he's my landlord as well…

'So that's how he's going to try to get the 'debt' I owe him' I think to myself.

I stay up for the majority of the night researching ways to take my account off hold. I'll need a lawyer. I run my hand through my hair in frustration. I try to look up names for other Storybrooke lawyers, and the only one who comes up is the D.A. Other than that, there are mysteriously no other lawyers here. And of course, Mr. Gold charges by the day when he's working on a case.

"Or maybe they took their names out because they don't want to go against Mr. Gold" I mumble to myself.

I had thought the town was afraid of Regina. Or was it Mr. Gold? Did they have any connections to the other? I rub my eyes as I think this to myself. Maybe Mary Margaret would be able to answer me. Dr. Hopper was clearly terrified of Regina and not even Graham seemed willing to stand against her. Hell, even Chess had gone still when she arrived to visit him. And what was she visiting him for anyways? Vision going blurry, I don't even remember falling asleep.

* * *

><p>I am awoken by a sudden knock on my door. Bolting up, I hadn't even realized I had fallen asleep. The rapping on my door has become even louder. Squinting at my phone, I frown when I realize it's not even eight in the morning.<p>

"Just give me a second!" I shout at the door as I head to the bathroom.

Flipping on the lights, I gargle quickly with some mouth wash and run a comb through my hair. There are dark circles under my eyes, no doubt from the last few sleepless nights. The person at my door has begun knocking again. Frowning, I yank open the door.

"Ms. Black, did I wake you up?" It is none other than Mr. Gold!

I nearly slam the door on him. "You know, it's pretty early in the morning to be collecting people's souls"

"I rise every morning at six. It's the best time to start life" he pulls himself up straight as he peers into my apartment behind me, "May I come in?"

I pull myself up to my full height as well. "No you may not"

"Excellent, thank you!" before I can respond he sidesteps me into my apartment.

"Hey! I didn't say yes!"

"Once again, I appreciate your willingness to cooperate" he smiles as he walks around my apartment, clearly ignoring me. "Now, I am here to discuss this apartment I procured for you. I see that you haven't yet made a payment and your late fee is now $100. If this continues any further, Ms. Black, I will be forced to evict you"

"Oh really" I slam the door shut as I turn to face him.

"I have been rather lenient with you. Most tenants are forced out within the day" he narrows his eyes at me and I resist the urge to curse at him again.

"So, you want your rent, and I want my apartment" I say, my face twisted in a sarcastic smile, "So let's find a compromise here"

"I'm all ears" he moves closer to me again.

"Take off the hold on my account" I say as I poke him in the shoulder, loving the sight of him flinching from my touch, "Then, I can get you your money"

"Hold on your account?"

"Oh stop with the innocent 'old man' act! I know for a fact you did it"

"If, I did it" he voice suddenly becomes menacing again, "I would not remove it so simply. You would owe me another favor. My, my, you've been in town for less than two months and it looks like your debt to me is only continuing to grow"

"If you evict me and I am forced to leave, you get nothing" I grit my teeth, "So, if you want anything, take that hold off, no extra favors or fees!"

"And where would you go?" he says back, clearly amused by my attempt at backbone.

"I don't know" I say honestly, "But you still wouldn't get anything out of this"

"Is that so?" he reaches a hand towards my face again, "Ms. Black, I must say, you look exceptionally tired. Having troublesome dreams?"

I catch his wrist in my hand and yank it away from my face. "The hell is it with you invading my personal space? Are you trying to creep me out?"

Before I can do anything, he flips his hand and catches my wrist. Yanking me towards him, he pins my wrist behind my bank. Once again, I stand stark still, heart pounding in my chest.

"I admire your courage" he says lowly, "But everything I do comes at a price. You want that hold taken off, what are you going to do for me?"

"What's your price?" my voice comes out in a whisper. This answer seems to please him.

"That man you 'caught' yesterday" his brown eyes are boring straight into mine, "What was his name?"

"Now what would need to know that for?" a nervous laugh pulls from my throat.

He makes another innocent face. "Curiosity"

"Mathew Bartholomew. You knew that though; it's all over the newspaper"

"No, what did he call himself?"

"Chess. He thought he was the Cheshire Cat"

I yank my wrist out of his grip, but I don't move an inch away. Curiosity gets the better of me, as always.

"A man who thinks he's a cat" Mr. Gold hasn't moved away from me either, and I feel a strange tension beginning to build, "Truly, that is the sign of someone losing all rhyme and reason. How interesting"

A strange smile flits over my lips and my fear of him begins to slip away. Feeling an unusual boldness, I push myself up against him and he immediately tenses. For the first time, I have the upper hand. "Now, take off the hold on my account. By the end of today, so I don't accrue anymore of your late fees"

"And what of my debt from our broken deal?"

"No time to discuss that today" I turn and walk away from him, "I have a meeting with Mayor Mills later on today and I have to prepare for it. Time for you to go collect somebody else's debt"

"Good luck" I hear him mutter as he exits my apartment.

I don't turn back around. I am sure I can find a way out of that contract. I just need to buy some time. Getting my clothes ready for the meeting later, a rush of adrenaline sweeps over me and I burst out in a large smile.

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><p>Up next: Jenna learns a painful secret and a new plot begins.<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

"Afternoon Jenna" Graham greets me as we head inside of the Mayor's office.

I beam widely at him, still feeling triumphant from my victory today. After going back to the bank on my way over, the hold on my account has been successfully removed. Now, all that was left for me to do was to find a way out of the contract. I knew I could do it now.

"You're in a rather chipper mood" Graham commented, giving me an odd look.

"The day started off rather well" I said as he opened the door for me.

"Is that so" Regina's voice cuts through the air like a knife. I hadn't even seen her. She must've been standing by the door, waiting for us to come in.

"Uh, yes ma'am" I say, feeling the broad smile drop back into a polite, tight lipped smile.

"Regina" Graham greeted her with a nod, not looking at all surprised to see her standing in a corner.

"Well, that's nice" Regina says, turning to me, fake smile plastered on her face. I am impressed she can do that even with the bandage on her face. "Well, I won't keep you from enjoying the rest of your day. This'll only take a moment. First, I want to say thank you to the both of you for doing such an excellent job the other day"

"There are two remaining men in custody" Graham informs her, "But both will be leaving Storbrooke once the next spot in the institution is available"

"Yes, I know. I saw to that myself" Regina says, eyes never leaving me, "Ms. Black, I would like to commend you personally for going after that deranged man. Its been a long time since I've seen such bravery"

"Oh, well thank you, it was my honor" I say, feeling myself twitch inwardly. What was the catch behind all this?

Regina bows her head for a moment before flicking her eyes back to me. "You saved me from that mad man. I believe I owe a thank you"

At this point I am reduced to smiling and nodding. Next to me, I can feel Graham tensing up.

With a false show of sympathy, Regina finally lets the bomb drop. "So, you can understand my true regret for being forced to let you go"

"What?" I say incredulously, hands dropping to my sides.

"Regina!" Graham moves to step in front of me. "It's my Department, and I-"

"Stay out of it!" Regina cuts him off. For one still, tense moment, Graham defies her wishes. Lips curling in a sneer, she accepts the invitation. "I made you Sheriff and I can take it away just as easily!"

"And why are you letting me go!" I step up next to Graham.

"Oh, Ms. Black" Regina coos as she reaches out to stroke my cheek, talking as if I were a child, "You threatened my staff, even though your job is to protect. How can I possibly keep you on my payroll?"

"Jenna?" Graham turns to me questionably.

"Tell him about the asylum" I dare her, stepping forward. Regina just gives me a 'devil may care grin'. "You and I both know its there"

Regina does nothing but rolls her eyes as she turns back to Graham. "You see? She is not fit to be a Deputy. She threatens my staff and she thinks we have an asylum? Everyone knows we don't. Obviously the stress of the job is too much for her. It's time for her to branch out and explore new horizons"

"Regina" Graham tries again.

"Enough!" she snaps at him.

"You are lying to everyone, and I have never hurt any of your staff members!" I snap back. Turning back to Graham, I expect him to stand up for me. Worry flits across my face when he turns away from me. "Graham? You don't believe her do you?"

"Jenna, this is twice I've heard that you've assaulted someone now" he shakes his head sadly.

"Graham?" a pain fills in my chest, "You actually think I'd do that?"

"Ms. Black, after you were hired, I took the liberty of doing some research on you" Regina says with another smirk, "Turns out you have quite the record of violent behavior. How many schools were you tossed out? Two? Three?"

"Those were closed files!" I hiss at her, "How did you manage to get those?"

"I did nothing wrong" Regina says, red lips in a sneer, "However, I am invested in the town's best interest, so when the first report of assault came to me, I did some extensive background checks"

"You're lying" my breath comes out hoarse. How much does she know?

"Am I?" she raises her eyebrows.

"If its necessary, I can have her retrained" Graham steps forward again.

"Graham, who do you believe?" Regina's entire demeanor changes as she moves closer to him.

Finally, several pieces fall into place.

"Oh! I get it now!" I say with a forced laugh, "Graham, you were right! The mayor certainly hands her hands in everything. Including the police department"

"Jenna-!" Graham moves towards me, but Regina grabs his arm. Like a trained pet, he stays in place. Gloating, she narrows her eyes at me.

"Fine!" I wave my hands in defeat. I no care about the job. "Whatever"

Backing out of the building, I yank open the door and let it slam behind me. Walking down the sidewalk, I angrily dash towards Granny's Diner. I want another drink. I want one so desperately. Graham and Regina. How did I not see that coming? Face turning red, I refuse to cry. Walking into the Diner, the place immediately hushes on my arrival. There are several murmurs of people staring at me.

"Yes!" I say loudly, "Any questions?"

Nervously flipping their heads back around, no one answers me. I make my way towards the bar area, sighing in relief when I see Ruby. Noting my puffy face, she comes forward towards me as I yank out a bar stool. There is a snort next to me, and I turn, seeing Leroy just a few seats away from me.

"Jenna, what gives?" she asks as she takes one hand in hers.

"This town is just _bursting _with secrets isn't it?" I say hotly, the pain in my chest growing.

Ruby bites her lower lip. "You found out about Graham and the mayor, didn't you?"

"Like I care!" I snap, "I don't know why it needed to be such a secret! Why not just tell me straight out!"

Ruby gives me knowing look before squeezing my hand sympathetically.

"You didn't want to know, that's why" Leroy says with another snort, eyes never leaving his drink. Taken aback by his honesty, I chew on my bottom lip for a moment.

"Well, I don't work with the Sheriff anymore, so they don't have to worry!" I try to force a laugh, but it comes out sounding more like a cough.

Feeling eyes on me, I turn around to see a girl with dark hair just staring at me. I roll my eyes and wave at her as she twirls back around in her seat.

"Don't mind them" Ruby says with a laugh, "Everyone's just shocked that you broke a deal with Mr. Gold. No one's ever done that before"

"Happy to be the first!" I laugh as Granny comes up beside Ruby.

"Well, that wasn't smart" Granny says sharply, "What are you going to do for work now? He owns most of the places here and no one will hire you because that'll mean going against him"

"I haven't really thought about" my insides run cold at the thought. I am barely making it right now as it is.

"You are in luck" Granny says with a stern look, "This Diner was inherited, so this is one of the few places he doesn't rent out" I look up at her in a mixture of wonder and relief. "And, it just so happens that I need another waitress. If you want the job, be here tomorrow morning, seven am sharp!"

I can't even say anything before she walks off, shaking her head.

"Well, in that case, I'd like a drink" I smile at Ruby, blinking away a few tears.

"Hey sister, I hate to burst in on you, but you forgot the drink I ordered five minutes ago" Leroy cuts in, snapping Ruby away from me. Face turning red to match her outfit, Ruby raises a finger to give Leroy a piece of her mind, but he cuts her off again and nods in my direction. "Her first round is on me"

Blinking, it takes Ruby a few moments before she takes the hint. Dashing off to grab two glasses, I soon find a glass of whiskey sitting in front of me. Clutching the ice cold glass to my burning body, I turn to Leroy.

"Thank you" I manage to whisper. He rolls his eyes at me before returning his attention to his drink.

* * *

><p>"Regina" Mr. Gold smiled as he walked into the mayor's office, "What can I do for you?"<p>

"We mentioned something about a new deal some time back" Regina said as she poured herself a cup of cold apple cider, "I'd like to finalize it"

"To which deal are we speaking of?" he said as he pulled a chair out from the Mayor's desk.

"About the new stranger in town" Regina sipped her drink, managing to look menacing while she so, "The time has come to force her out"

"Oh, right" Mr. Gold said with a chuckle as he eyed the Mayor's decoration of apples, "What is it you had in mind?"

"I want her gone" Regina said again, lowering her eyes at him so he'd get her drift. "I never want to see her face again. This one isn't simply going to go away either. It won't be as easy as forcing her out of town"

Reaching into her pocket, Regina pulled out a large, boney looking key and presented it to Mr. Gold.

"What is it you'd like me to do?" Mr. Gold asked her as he took the key from her hand, 'And what do I get out of it?"

"Twenty thousand dollars" Regina murmured, "I believe that is the price you require in order to obtain that house you so coveted. And some additional acres in land. What I want you to do is to get rid of this nuisance. Permanently. I can't do this without your cooperation"

Mr. Gold couldn't help but grin at her, as he placed the skeleton key in his pocket. With his free hand, he reached out and grabbed one of the apples. Bringing it to his lips, he took a single bite into the apple.

"And I know just the person to do the job. They are expecting you to be there no later than the day after next" Regina smiled, "Let the mad dog out of his cage" "As you wish, Madame Mayor" Mr. Gold said around a mouthful of apple.

Setting the bitten apple back down on her desk, he turned to leave the room, toying with the key in his pocket. Things were really going to get interesting.

Regina stared at the apple for a moment, waiting for him to leave the room. When she was positive he was gone, she reached into her jacket, pulling out a yellow handkerchief. Bringing it to the mirror, she clutched it to her face, fervently murmuring the same words inscribed on the fabric that had once enacted a curse that brought everyone to this place. Hands tightening around the cloth, she squeezed with all of her remaining power, tightening her death grip on the town and its captives.

* * *

><p>Feeling an insane giggle in his throat, Chess gripped the skeleton key in his hand. All he had to do now was wait for the stupid overnight cop to leave his post. It might not be tonight, or the next. With the mayor postponing his and his remaining companion trip out of Storybrooke indefinitely, all he had to do now was be patient. And then, the true madness would begin. He allowed himself to smile. Poor thing would never know what hit her!<p> 


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Down to the last five/six chapters! If there is any confusion here, the Curse begins affecting Emma/Jenna and she doesn't know time stops. This was originally going to be much more explicit but it didn't seem right, especially not this time.

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><p>He frowned as he walked into his shop that morning. The queen had won. There was no doubting it now. With some of the last remnants of her magic, Regina's grip on the curse was even tighter. He shook his head. The 'savior' had failed. And she had only just arrived. There was no more point in investing in such a wasted tool. It had been only two weeks since he had planted the skeleton key. Not much more time remained.<p>

'Time' he thought with a slight chuckle as he looked out towards the tower. Time was beginning to slow down again, though he was positive that no one else seemed to notice. Some days, the old clock on the tower didn't even move…

* * *

><p>Fumbling with my skirt, I pull myself together as I head towards the back of the Diner. I don't care what Ruby says, it's not easy to be a waitress when your wearing a little red skirt and a white blouse. She pulls the look off well since she is so leggy. It's nearly ten and my shift for the night has ended. This is not the job that I had envisioned for myself. Rent is hard to scrape up and food, well decent food, is hard to come by. Thankfully, Regina's apples have lasted for quite some time now, and have become a good source of food for breakfast. I have dropped some weight in the last few weeks. All in all, the job here isn't bad and I am grateful for it.<p>

Still, I miss the Sheriff's Department. I miss not having to work so many double shifts just to make my rent. I actually miss 'patrolling'. I miss not being able to see Mary Margaret now. With working such odd hours, I am barely able to see her. She works in the morning and my shift usually doesn't start till the afternoon. Regina comes in every so often to see how I 'like the change of scene', but I don't pay any attention to her.

I miss Graham too. Above all, that is one of the worst things I am dealing with right now. He tried to approach me the next day after I learned his secret. He was saying some odd things. Mentioned something about how he felt nothing with Regina and how he thought there was something wrong with him. How I needed to listen to him. I didn't want to hear it so I pointed him in the direction of Archie's office and told him to get himself analyzed. Since then, I have avoided him. He used to stop by the Diner to try and speak to me, but I would always find a different task to occupy myself. He gave up after a several tries.

'Graham" I think to myself, and my heart aches. I quickly push the memory away.

Sniffing slightly, I pull up a bar stool. I have just finished another long day and it is time for a well deserved drink. Tonight will mark my fifth month here. I must celebrate, even if I am alone. Glancing over, I frown. Not even Leroy is here tonight. I already have a whiskey waiting for me as I slump down in the stool, dropping by book bag next to me. In it, I have the book Ms. Jenna had given to me so long ago. I had been meaning to go back and read it, but every time I bring it in, something always comes up. Either Mary Margaret manages to get the same lunch break as me or Ruby has the same lunch and wants to hang out. Or, some days I don't even get a break. I slam down my whiskey and order a second. I'll get to the book eventually.

"The life of a waitress" I hear a deep, Scottish accent rumbling next to me, "How enchanting"

I look up to see Mr. Gold standing next to me. My mood sours.

"My rent's paid up" I mutter.

"Oh, I'm not here for rent" he nods at me as he pulls out the stool next to me and sits down.

"I didn't invite you to sit next to me!" I say sharply.

"I didn't ask for your permission" he says back, lips quirking up in a half smile.

Gripping my drink, I chug it down quickly and order a third.

"Then what are you here for?" I ask him as I begin sipping my drink, "You don't strike me as the kind of guy who just sits down next to people for social reasons"

"Then what kind of man do I strike you as?" he raises his eyebrows at me in question.

"As a man who thinks he's 'The Godfather'" I say, frowning into my now empty cup.

"Jenna, are you alright?" Ashley frowns at me when I order the fourth drink. She's just entered her eighth month of pregnancy, yet is still working at the Diner. Usually, she works until closing time.

"I'm good!" I say a bit to sharply. Ashley eyes Mr. Gold warily before she walks off to get my drink.

"Well Ms. Black, you are correct in thinking this isn't a social call" Mr. Gold comments when Ashley returns with my drink. He himself as ordered an Early Grey Tea. "If you remember some time back, it was acknowledged that you owed me a debt for breaking our deal"

"Ah, no!" I point a finger in the air as I sip my drink. Twirling around, I am now directly facing him. "I don't owe you anything!"

"Please do explain yourself" Mr. Gold turns in his seat to, eyes full of amusement as he watches me pour the whiskey down my throat. My knees brush against his and for once, he doesn't flinch.

"I have figured it out" I jab my finger into his shoulder. Everything around me has begun to spin and I resist the urge to giggle. "Tha-t contract! It wash…was for the…the josh, job as the corrections officer!"

"Yes, it was" Mr. Gold narrows his eyes as I order a fifth drink.

I flash a huge smile at him. "I moved oush…out of that job! The rent for my apartment, I pay you! The contract was for the job of the corrections officer! I moved to a different job! So there! And I no longer have neither job!"

"Yes, I heard about Mayor Mills releasing you. What a shame"

"I never hurt her staff members!" I add for good measure as I stare into the bottom of my cup. "As for the contract, it's null and void"

"Ms. Black, I don't think you-" he tried to say.

"No!" I stab another finger in his shoulder as I sip my new drink, "It was for the corrections officer job. If you got me that job, I owed you a favor! It said nothing about me transferring!"

Mr. Gold is looking at me with a look of wonder.

"You-you want to dis-dispute it, pull out that old contract!" he still says nothing, allowing me to continue rambling on. "So you can take your cane and stick it!"

"You found a loophole" for the first time, he flashes me a genuine smile, "Very good"

I smile at him, sipping on my drink. A thought crosses my mind.

"A few months back" he frowns when I say this, "You mentioned I needed to be careful of secrets. You meant Graham and Regina, didn't you? That's what he didn't want you to tell me"

"A few months back?" he questions me before muttering, "More like a few weeks"

"No, no" my brow furrows as I try to talk without slurring. "But, whenever it was, you were trying to warn me, weren't you?"

He doesn't say anything and I go to finish off whatever is remaining in my glass. Catching my wrist in his hand, he stops me. Feeling that strange tension building up again, he grabs my stool and drags it closer to him.

"I think you've had quite enough ma dear" he says, grip on my wrist tightening as he takes the glass out of my hand, "How old are you anyway?"

"Twenty-two. But you already knew that" a small giggle escapes my throat as I lean into him, "I'll be twenty-three soon"

"Yes, that's right" he muses, "Such a tender age"

"You're weird mister" I say with another giggle.

"Now that's not a nice thing to say"

"Its true!" I say as I stand up. Grabbing his arm, I feel the world around me move even faster. I have never had this feeling before and I love every minute of it. No wonder Mr. Allen drank ever night!

"Jenna, are you alright?" Mr. Gold asks me when I do nothing but blink for a minute.

"I have to get home now" I manage to sputter out.

"An excellent idea" he is suddenly off the stool knocking me slightly off balance, "I shall make sure you get there safely"

"Oh no" I giggle again, swerving a little, "I can get home just fine"

"Jenna, you can barely walk. I cannot allow you to go on your own in such a state"

He wraps an arm around me for support and I lean into him. He smells so very good. He grabs my book bag and hands it to me. I allow him to take me out of the Diner. I vaguely remembered Ashley protesting slightly, and I think I was the one who waved off her concern. I don't remember getting into his car. The next thing I know, we are standing outside of my apartment.

"I don't get you, and yet I do" I murmur as I fumbled with the keys in my hand. Everything is moving so quickly that I can't find the right one.

"I'm not sure I understand" he says as he takes the keys out of my hand and quickly finds the one for my apartment.

"You're creepy" I say honestly, leaning against my door, "You're downright mean and the worst thing I've run into since the orphanage. But I wouldn't want to see you any other way. I don't have to pretend around you"

"I glad you feel at ease around me" he moves closer to me before giving a soft laugh, "The adjectives, I'll choose to ignore"

I am clutching my book bag in front of my and the top opens slightly, exposing my book.

"What book have you got in there?"

The world around me is moving so fast and my curiosity is growing. "It's a book of fairy tales. Did you know about the accidents in the mines? About the asylum here?"

"What about it?"

I am so glad he knows what I am talking about. "Did you know that the people who came out of the mines thought they were story book characters?"

My body is slightly arched and I am so very curious. He moves even closer to me.

"Story book characters, how fitting. After all, our town is named Storybrooke" he begins toying with my hair again, "I wonder what character you would be?"

Feeling surreal, I drop my book bag and my hands find his jacket, pulling him towards me. Keys fumbling for the lock in one hand, he swoops down and kisses me. Door opening behind me, we move across the apartment, finding my room. He has long since dropped his cane and now has me back against the wall. His hands are tearing at my blouse. Feeling hands against me breasts, I can't help but gasp as I feel him pinch one nipple in his fingers. I feel myself being dragged across the room again.

Landing on my bed, I look up to see him hovering over me, pausing for a second. Feeling impatient, I reach out and grab him by the jacket, yanking him down on top of me. Feeling him grin against my lips as he lowers himself between my legs. Curiosity overriding any of my shyness. Tracing my hands down his back, I stop until I feel a certain hardness between his legs and for a moment he freezes and gives out a startled gasp. I begin rubbing it gently, loving the sound of him groaning. I have never done this before and soon he cups my hand in his, guiding my movements. I find the zipper of his pants, but he suddenly yanks my hand away.

"No" his voice his barely above a whisper, dark eyes shining brightly.

"Why?" I ask him. I am not to sure what comes next anyways, but it felt right.

"You're going to regret it in the morning" he traces a path from my ear down my neck.

"I don't care"

"Is that so?" his trademark grin is soon in place and he pulls away from me slightly.

I whimper slightly at the loss of contact. One hand gliding across my leg, he inches closer to my skirt, closer to that spot that is now aching between my legs. Hand underneath my skirt, he begins rubbing me gently, drawing such a delicious feeling that my hips arch in response and I try to stifle a groan. Hooking two fingers into my panties, he yanks them off me. Fingers on my bare skin, he begins stroking me, and I bite my lip. He finds my clit, giving it a soft pinch. Trembling underneath him, I feel his movements became faster as the feeling grows more intense. I can hear myself moaning and my body is now writhing beneath him. I stiffen slightly when I feel him insert a finger inside me. He begins moving and the feeling becomes white hot, sending jolts of pleasure coursing through my body.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he whispers into my ear.

"Yes!" I moan in response as the feeling in my lower body becomes tighter and tighter.

I can't breathe, I can't say anything as I cling onto him as the pressure builds and builds. When I think I can no longer stand it, something snaps. Hearing a strangled moan escape my throat, the feeling becomes indescribable as waves of pleasure roll over me, sending my body into tremors. Gasping for breath, he leans back down and kisses me, swallowing my scream as my body still twitches uncontrollably. With his free hand, he has begun fiddling with his pants.

I cry out in pain when he enters me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I allow one tear to slide down my cheek.

"Stay still" he whispers in my ear as he kisses a trail from my neck down my collarbone, "The pain will be over soon"

He does his best to soothe me and for a moment neither of us move. Putting one hand under my leg, he encourages me to entwine my legs around his waist, easing the pain slightly. Slowly, I feel him beginning to move inside of me. In a strange mix of pleasure and pain, I gasp, and he kisses me again, hand cupping my cheek to hold me in place. Pain beginning to subside, I hear soft moans coming from me and his movements become faster. His body begins jerking wildly and he entangles one hand in my hair. With one final thrust, he goes still.

"Jenna. Jenna" he murmurs my name over and over as he clutches me close to him.

Feeling the last of the alcohol leave my body, I allow him to scoop me up close to him. Wrapping an arm around me, I feel as if I am in a loving embrace, and I soon fall fast asleep.

* * *

><p>The time had finally come. Pushing open the cold, steel bars doors, Chess walked out of his cage, the last of his men trailing behind him. Finding his coat and some other various objects on the night officer's desk, he smirked to himself, silently thanking the stupidity of the cop for leaving the weapons where he could find them. Gathering his clothing, he twirled a long knife in his hand as the cop made his way back into the room.<p>

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><p>Up next: Flashbacks and Jenna confronts Mr. Gold<p> 


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: redid this chapter.

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><p><strong>Flashback:<strong>

It was a warm day, and the children were having a break from they're lessons and were enjoying the afternoon. Sun in her golden hair, the little princess played on her swing set, her little legs pumping propelling her body higher and higher into the air. He frowned when he saw another child, a small boy run up behind her, knocking the child to the ground.

"Little baby has no mommy!" he heard the boy taunt her cruelly.

Face full of dirt, the little princess tried to pull herself to her feet, but was knocked down by another a child. Pointing and laughing, a small group had circled around the fallen child. A bell rings in the distance and the rest of the children scamper of towards their respectable classes. He watched the princess pull herself up and dust herself off as a group of adults approach the girl, encircling her again. A woman by the name of Mrs. Delano takes the hand of the child. Following them from a safe distance, the child has finally recovered her school bag and is in such a hurry to keep up with the woman tugging on her hand that the child doesn't notice when something large falls out of her bag.

"Grown-ups shouldn't lie!" he hears the girl scream at the woman. The older woman's face turns an interesting shade of red.

Pushing the child towards the back of a black car, Mrs. Delano opens the door and instructs the child to stay inside as she walks away from the car for a brief moment. Approaching the car, he can hear the girl crying inside.

"Excuse me, little miss" he says as he taps the car door with his cane. Looking into the car, he sees big blue eyes peering up at him curiously as he produces a large book from behind his back, "But I couldn't help but notice you dropped this"

The little princess gingerly takes the large book labeled Once Upon A Time from him, her eyes never leaving him. "Thank you mister"

"You're quite welcome ma dear" he says warmly. Hearing the clattering of heels behind him, he gives a final wave to the princess before making a hasty exit.

"Wait!" the child calls after him, climbing out of the car. Gasping, she looks all around. He had disappeared, like a ghost.

"Emma!" Mrs. Delano is back, coming up behind her, "You were to stay in the car!"

"Did you see the man?" Emma asks her.

Mrs. Delano peered around the corner before giving the girl a furious glare. "I don't see any man here. You've been reading too much fantasy crap again!" Mrs. Delano takes a swipe at the book, but Emma hugged it to herself and dashed back into the car.

"_Emma" _a voice whispered all around her.

Car speeding off, Emma turned around to stare out the back window. Eyes widening, she saw the distant figure of the man, his form growing smaller and smaller as the car drove away.

* * *

><p>My alarm clock chirps wildly, startling me out of my dream. My eyes fly open, squinting as the sunlight creeps through my blinds. Headache pounding behind my eyeballs, I groan, my mouth dry as a desert. I can't believe I'd had so much to drink last night. Freezing slightly, my eyes rake down my body, and I breath a sigh of relief to see I am dressed in my large night shirt. I am alone in the apartment. I let out a relived laugh. For a split second, I had actually believed I had allowed Mr. Gold in here. Pulling myself to a sitting position, I wince slightly, registering a dull pain between my legs.<p>

"Oh no" I moan faintly. Turning my head, my heart drops as I see a glass of water and couple of aspirin waiting for me on the dresser. I close my eyes, and I remember myself clinging onto him like a desperate woman.

I refuse to cry. Grabbing the aspirin, I take a quick swig of the water, allowing the liquid to cool my aching throat. Pulling myself out of bed, I take a few tentative steps toward the bathroom. The pain has begun to ease and I do my best to block out last night memories. There is no doubt about it now. Last night happened! I am hoping Ashley hasn't told anyone that I allowed Mr. Gold to take me home while completely intoxicated. I have never been that drunk before. I frown as I remember the dream I had been having. Or was it a memory?

I decide to walk to work, which I instantly regret doing. The pain between my legs hasn't gone away and I walk with my legs slightly apart. I can't believe I had been drunk enough to let that smug bastard touch me. There are a group of girls behind me and I can't help but feel that they're laughing at me. With the way word travels around here, I wouldn't be surprised if the entire town new what happened.

_'Are you sure this is what you want?_' I hear him whispering in my ear as his finger enters me.

"Shit!" I exclaim, moving away from the crowd.

Sitting on a bench, I force myself to take deep breaths. A memory of me pleading for more comes to my mind and I could cry from the shame of it. I instantly try to shove it away.

"Well there you are, Jenna!" I look up to see Leroy swaggering towards me, "I heard you had a good time last night"

"And what of it!" I snap at him.

"Jesus sister, when I heard you could pound whiskey as good as me, I had thought I had found a new drinking buddy" he gives me disapproving once over, "But with that attitude, see I buy you anymore drinks!"

He leaves me staring after him. I can't shake the feeling of last night. And I can't get that dream out of my head. I know Mr. Gold from somewhere other than here. I just know it! Luckily for me, I was suppose to have today off, but I picked up an extra shift at the last moment, so there's no way he'll be here today. If fate allows me to have my way, I'll avoid that man until my dying day. On top of that, he hardly ever comes to the Diner. Heading to work early to deal with the aftermath of last night, the first thing I see is the very disapproving look on Granny's face. I shudder slightly.

"Well, I am surprised someone managed to come to work today" she says coldly, her arms full of menus.

"Yeah" is all I can manage to say. I wonder if anyone saw what happened or if Ashley had mentioned something.

"You are not allowed to drink here anymore!" Granny glares at me, "You don't know what could've happened to you!"

'So Ashley didn't tell her' I think to myself. All I can do is press my lips into a thin smile. My headache is starting to return and I wish Granny would drop it.

"Since you're here early, you can get started with sorting out the torn menus" Granny stuffs the pile in my arms.

I can't say anything. I really wanted a coffee, but I'm afraid that this'll provoke another reaction from Granny. There is a soft chuckle behind me. Eyes narrowing in anger, I ignore my pounding headache as I spin around.

"You" I spit the word venomously as I approach Mr. Gold.

He is sitting at a table with another cup of tea in front of him. Arms still full of Granny's menus, I stomp over towards him. Luckily, the cafe is pretty dead.

"Jenna" he says with a smug grin as I come up next to his table, "To what do I owe the…pleasure…of your company"

I ignore the sarcastic comment. "Who are you?" I demand bluntly.

"Who am I?" he seems to be enjoying this, "Why, I am Mr. Gold. Certainly you remember that much"

"Enough games! I know you from somewhere, don't I?"

He says nothing, but looks away from me, a sly look in his eyes.

"I do, don't I!" I am now almost certain that dream had been a memory, "I saw you once as I child, didn't I? You returned my book!"

"Did I?" he asks me another of his famous rhetorical questions.

_'Are you sure this is what you want?_' I hear that whisper and I can feel his hands on my skin again.

"You seem awfully distracted" Mr. Gold says knowingly.

"Fuck you" I sneer at him.

"Again? Well, if you insist"

I feel myself turning bright red and I go to say something but all I end up doing is stuttering for a few minutes. "You came here to see me, so what do you want?" I am very blunt, and his eyes widen in mock surprise.

"Are you certain of this? If I did, what would be my motive?"

"I don't know!" I feel myself beginning to grow flustered, "Like, uh, for example, today! Yes, today! I never told you when I came into work today, and here you are!"

"Ma dear, you were murmuring a great many of things last night. Whose to say you didn't ask me to meet you here before your shift started?"

I feel myself becoming very heated, "Was 'last night' planned?"

"No" he says, sitting up straight to fold his hands on the table, "But I did warn you that you would regret it"

I open my mouth to say something, but no words comes out. He's not lying about this am I am surprised.

"And, I came here to see you, you are correct" his eyes narrow at me, "Or rather, to warn you. That man you caught a few weeks ago, he's escaped, along with another of his men. Killed the officer on duty. You, well, 'caught' him. He may come after you"

"Chess escaped?" I say incredulously, "How?"

"No one knows" he offered with a slight shrug, "It happened sometime during the night. I would've informed you of it sooner, but you seemed very preoccupied-"

"I'm not talking about that" I wave him off, feeling myself blush. I attempt to turn the conversation back to it's original topic "What do you want from me? You know something, don't you?"

"I know a great many things about this place. For example, last night, I couldn't help but notice you kept an old newspaper clip from The Daily Mirror. That thing had a date on it that was almost eighteen years old. Tell me, what are you doing here now?"

I am silent for a moment before something clicks in my head. "You know my parents, don't you? Its no secret that I came here hoping to find them. You've been watching ever since I got here, haven't you?"

"Jenna, Jenna, Jenna" he says my name again as he looks away from me.

"Tell me who they are!" I have gone from angry to pleading, "I want to find them. Please!"

"Well, if I do that…" he trails off knowingly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll owe you a favor" I mutter sardonically, "Everything comes at a price with you-"

My mouth falls open and I stare at him in mute horror. I have just realized what I've said.

'You're weird mister' I hear my six year old self saying this, as well as my drunken self last night. His grin has now grown predatory as he eyes me, his entering body tensing.

"It's you, isn't it" I let out a chocked gasp.

"You look like you've seen a ghost" he says oh so quietly as he cocks his head to the side, "Little dearie"

I drop the menus onto the floor as I stare at him.

"Jenna?" I hear someone faintly call me.

I don't respond. Mr. Gold and I lock eyes. For a brief moment, I see Rumpelstiltskin's large eyes peering back at me. He grins at me, and before I know what I'm doing, I turn and sprint out of the Diner.

"Jenna!" I hear Granny call after me. Or was it Ruby?

I run and I run and I run. I run until I am back in my apartment. My head is spinning wildly. Rumpelstiltskin is Mr. Gold. Mr. Gold is Rumpelstiltskin! How did I not make the connection before? Slamming my front door shut, I sink down into the deepest, darkest corner I can find.

"The stories are true" I hear Belle's words echoing inside my head over and over with her thick, haunting voice. Soon, Chess's voice begins to chime in with her.

"Stop it, stop it!" I cry as I clutch my hands to my ears in attempts to drown out the voices.

"A conscious is that still small voice" Dr. Hopper's voice has now begun echoing. Jiminy Cricket?

"Oh my God!" I scream as I clutch my ears.

"When they came out of the mines, they each displayed signs of post traumatic stress disorder. They thought they were story book characters" my conversation with Dr. Hopper keeps replaying over and over in my mind.

This place is filled with fairy tale creatures! If Rumpelstiltskin is real than it has to be true. Nothing else would make sense! He wanted me to find this place. Why? Why would he do this to me? Allowe me to sign a contract he knew I would default on and left me nearly homeless. Why are these characters here? They don't even seem to realize it themselves.

"Regina" I whisper, "That's why she wanted to people from the mines shipped out of here. That's why Belle's locked in a secret ward. They know the truth! And she doesn't want anyone else to know"

"The stories are true" I hear Chess's voice crooning.

Gasping wildly for air, my body is gripped by tremors. That voice didn't come from inside my head. There is a slight squeak coming from my room. I refuse to move towards it. There is a rustle behind me and a large hand grabs my shoulder. I move instantly to face the intruder behind me.

In a roundhouse kick, I send the man sailing across the room. With a loud oomph! he hits the wall. I am still shaking. It's the man Graham chased down. He drags himself to his feet and comes at me again. Body reacting instinctively, I raise my arms, and the man collides straight with my elbow. With another hook, I knock him to the ground. The man just won't give up and soon he is back at me again. Taking a swing at me, I easily sidestep him, and another well placed kick in the ribs send him stumbling back. This time, he doesn't get back up. Laughter stills echoes from my room.

"Come out!" I shriek.

There is nothing but soft laughter all around me.

"Enough! You want me? Here I am!"

A solid object collides with my head and a terrific jolt of pain reverberates through my body. I land in a heap on the carpet. A thin trail of blood seeps down my forehead in between my eyes. Shoes squeaking behind me, I see a sparkly blue jacket drape over me. I open my mouth to say something, but my muscles refuse to respond.

"Come on, screeeeeaaaaam!" Chess is now kneeling down in front of me, eyeliner and purple bangs back in place. He had been in the corner watching me. "Scream for your pet imp! He won't save you!"

The other man is now back on his feet and is advancing towards me.

"Don't worry, little dearie" I feel Chess's breath on the nape of my neck, "I'm going to take good care of you"

My world goes dark as I feel myself being lifted off the ground.

* * *

><p>There was an angry pounding on his door. With an agitated yank, Mr. Gold opened his door to find Sheriff Graham standing on his doorstep.<p>

"What can I do for you, Sheriff?"

"Jenna's gone" Graham states loudly.

"Is that so?" Mr. Gold positioned his cane in front of him.

"She's been missing for nearly twenty-four hours. The last time she was seen, she was quarreling with you in the Diner" Graham was looking at him accusingly.

"People quarrel all the time Sheriff" Mr. Gold said snidely, "You're not implying that I had something to do with the young lady's disappearance, are you?"

Graham weighed his options as he stared at Mr. Gold. "Do you have any idea where she could've gone"

"No idea" Mr. Gold stared down the younger man, "Didn't some men escape from your holding cell the other night? Why don't you go check those sources out before coming to me"

For a moment, the two men stare at each other, and Mr. Gold can tell the Sheriff has a lot more he wants to say to him. With obvious reluctance, the Sheriff turns and walks away as Mr. Gold closed the door. With a sigh, he sank into a chair. It has finally begun. The beginning of the end. That was too bad. The girl had fire, but not enough to save her now. Something gold caught the corner of his eye and he makes his way over to the nearby dresser where he keeps several of his most cherished items.

Sitting next to his chipped teacup is a little gold locket. Grasping it in his hand, he closed his eyes as he remembered the day the child had stolen it from his castle.

"_Did I ever tell you what was in that amulet?" he asked her when the child had attempted to return it to him._

"_No" she said softly, "But if you need it back, here. I'm sorry I took it without asking"_

"_That's quite alright, little dearie. In the amulet is a little thing I like to call Twu Luv. I've got an entire bottle at home. You can keep this one" he pushed her back hand and watched her face light up. He opted not to tell her that he gotten it by making deals with her parents._

"_You're not mad at me?" the girl had asked him._

"_I suppose not!" he said with a sweep of his arm._

"_Thank you" she said, flashing another precious smile at him. Her face suddenly became serious, much to serious for that of a six year old. "Promise me you'll never leave me"_

_He was silent for a minute, his power of sight giving him a vision of the woman she was to become. A spark of what could only be called humanity coursed through his veins. For one brief moment, he saw the pain and loneliness that this innocent child would go through. For one single, solitude minute, he allowed himself to regret the course her life would lead. In that minute, he actually felt tears well up in his eyes. Quickly snapping back to himself, the moment was soon gone._

"_You have my word" he said with a dramatic bow._

Opening his eyes, he felt a pang of emotion in his chest. His gaze turned back to the chipped cup. Gone, gone forever. Nothing could bring the girl who chipped the cup back. Nor the son whose clothing he still kept. But the girl who had stolen his amulet from so long ago was another story.

"Emma" he whispered her name.

Yanking open the bottom drawer of his dresser, he found the small handgun inside it. Later that night, he smirked when he found a man limping on the street. He was wheezing, a sign of injured ribs, face and body riddled with bruises. This was one of the escape convicts. What was he doing on the side of the street, alone? The other citizen's must be to afraid to intervene. No matter.

"Need a ride?" he pulled up next to the man.

"I'm fine" the man grunted. Turning to see who was next to him, his eyes widened when he realized he was face to face with a gun.

"I insist" Mr. Gold said sarcastically, grin becoming shark-like as the man began to tremble.


	21. Author's Note

**A/N: I am so sorry to be doing this to you guys again. This story has become much larger and more complicated than I had originally anticipated to it be. Like my prequel in a prequel when I first stared. It is now beginning to run along the same lines as 'Night Light' where there will be more interaction between Emma and Chess and just why he is doing what he is doing. Also, several scenes from 'Night Light' are going to be popping in and out from here on out. Not a 'need to read', but it might help. Once again, sorry if I've confused anyone.**


	22. Chapter 21

A/N: I think I've figured out how to intertwine the two stories with some brief flashbacks. They will not be parallel. I guess I'm a little overly worried about confusing anyone. In this chapter, I'd always figured that since the Evil Queen and the Queen of Hearts were rivals, then the Queen of Hearts might view anyone else with a claim to the throne as a rival as well. Got a bit of Latin in here as well as a brief flashback. All previous warnings apply.

* * *

><p>He yanked the bag off the man's head and dragged him out of the car. The man gave a quick yelp as his shoulder made a rough contact with the pavement. Heavy cane clicking from the other side of the car, the man couldn't do anything but curl up into a defensive posture.<p>

"What do you want!" the man stuttered.

Mr. Gold slowly angled himself around to the other side of the car. Nostrils flaring, he took a deep breath of the cool, night air into his lungs. They were on the toll bridge, so the air was slightly cooler over here. And most importantly, no one ever came out here.

"What do you want, what do you want?" the man on the ground moaned over and over.

"Pitiful" Mr. Gold sneered down at him, "Absolutely pitiful. All I want to do is make a deal, not steal your soul"

"I don't want any more deals with you" the man said, eyes growing wide as the gun came out of Mr. Gold's pocket again.

"Really? It would be in your best interest to agree" Mr. Gold gave a soft laugh as he then pointed the gun at the man, "It's simple, I just want two things; first, I want you to tell me where the girl is. Second, I want to know what he did to her. Do you understand?"

"But you were in on it! You agreed not to interfere. That was part of the deal-"

A loud shot rang through the night as the bullet made contact with the man's shin, splintering it completely. His prisoner tossed his back, but just as his scream was heard, the back of Mr. Gold's cane came into contact with his face, knocking out a back tooth. Blood pouring down the man's mouth, Mr. Gold yanked him to his feet by the jacket and dragged him to the edge of the bridge.

"I didn't ask for that all of that!" Gun now pointed directly between the man's eyes, he watched the sweat drip down his face, "Oh, and every time you scream, you will get another shot. Do you understand the rules?"

The man whimpered slightly, desperately biting his lips to prevent from screaming from the pain as several large tears dropped down his face. "If I tell you, will you let me go?"

Mr. Gold couldn't help but give a large grin. "You have my word. Give me what I want, and I'll let you go"

"Chess has her in a cabin on the other side of town. Just at the very end of the forest. The kid's been eating apples like crazy, the Queen's apples-"

"Yes, yes, I already know that!" Mr. Gold hissed as he gave the man a rough shake, pushing him even closer towards the edge of the bridge.

"They were laced with magic to keep her asleep" the man struggled, pain in his knee pulsing, "Chess hit her and knocked her unconscious. He's going to-"

"He's going to drag her into his world!" Mr. Gold's eyes widened, "If she goes down there, she'll never wake up. No amount of magic would bring her back"

"Let me go" spittle mixed with blood sprayed from the man's mouth, "I've told you what I know. You said you'd let me go"

"You're right, I did"

Hand releasing the jacket, Mr. Gold stepped back as he watched the man drop from the bridge, his wail cut short from the sickening crunch as his body landed amongst the larger rocks. Handkerchief in hand, Mr. Gold wiped the sprayed blood off his face and cane as he made his way back to his car.

* * *

><p>"Emma" the name whispered all around me as I opened my eyes.<p>

I am in a place that looks strangely familiar. The walls are painted an almost painfully bright gold, with splashes of blue and purple everywhere. Vines filled with red roses creep up the walls. One is dripping, almost as if it is bleeding, revealing the rose's true color underneath. White. Someone had painted the roses red. Looking down, I gasp when I realize I am in my old white dress again. The room is so large around me. Looking into a nearby mirror, I freeze when I realize I am a child again.

"Emma" I hear that strange whisper. It is coming from outside the room. "Emma, come"

Before I can even blink, I am suddenly in a large room. It must be some kind of a mask because there are people dancing everywhere. The women have bright blonde hair and red and black dresses. Or rather, their dresses are black with red hearts everywhere. Their eyes are covered by masks, leaving only their red painted lips and porcelain teeth to see. The men have slicked down black hair, black suits covered with red spades.

"Emma!" my name is whispered again.

Before I know what I'm doing, I am walking into the middle of the room, the dancers parting, giving me room to walk. They are all smiling down at me. One woman gives a little wave, her hands covered in black, elbow length gloves.

"Emma!" the voice is no longer a whisper as I look up to see Chess approaching me, smile wide as he clasps his hands together. "How good of you to join us again! Please, may I have this dance?"

Without waiting for a response, he gently leans over and grabs my hands, dragging me towards him. Lifting me up slightly, I stand on his blue shoes. He still has on his sequined blue jacket and the sequins dig into my skin slightly. I had forgotten how small I used to be as he holds my shoulders and begins to move. Closing my eyes, I feel myself growing until I am back at my present size.

"Where am I?" I whisper.

"Shush, my dear, you're safe" Chess coos in my ear as he lifts my hands and encircles them around his shoulders, "You don't need to worry about anything every again"

"This is just a dream" I can help but hear the despair in my voice. Eyes burning with unshed tears, I lean into him, my head resting on his shoulder.

"You tried so hard, I know" Chess's voice is filled a with sympathy that I know he doesn't feel, "And the answers were all right there in front of you. You never have to worry about them again. Here, I'll give you any dream you desire"

"I don't want this dream" I can feel myself becoming lightheaded as the room spins around me. The people everywhere are laughing. Some are sipping drinks with cloves in the glass's.

"You don't have a choice" Chess whispered as the music begins to drone into a weird lullaby.

"Why me" I close my eyes as the tears still refuse to come out.

"You're special, that's why" Chess nuzzled my ear, hot breath down my neck, "Your destiny is to fight evil, but it wasn't clear if you'd win. However, I want to protect you from getting hurt. If I keep you here, you won't be hurt. Did that imp ever tell you how I lost you in the first place?"

I shake my head as the memory of a man hiding in the bushes comes to my mind. I had been trying to reach a rose in Rumpelstilskin's garden, but I was too small. Then Chess came along and plucked it for me.

"I couldn't guess your name. You said your name was Jenna" Chess giggled in my ear, as we continued to twirl around the room, "You trusted that twisted imp when he told you not give out your true name. He wanted you to fight, possibly die even. He didn't care about you. But I, knowing who your father was, wanted to take an adventure. You would've become so magnificent"

"Who is my father?" I asked quietly as he begins twirling me towards the end of the room. There is a woman sitting there with a veil covering her face. Unlike every other person in the room, she is dressed all in white.

"Prince Charming" Chess said with another giggle, "You come from a Royal Family; Snow White is your mother. You've met her before"

"Mary Margaret" the name just rolled off my tongue. It all makes so much sense now. How had I been so blind?

"Yeeeesssss!" he hisses in my ear, "I paid a big price to buy you back from that imp. It was quite simple actually" He shrugs slightly.

So, Rumpelstilskin, or Mr. Gold, traded me with this mad man. I can feel fresh tears coming into my eyes as my heart breaks in a way I'd never felt before.

"Oh, don't cry now" Chess pats my cheek "You'll ruin my jacket. Besides, he was never really your friend in the first place. He always referred to you as his 'tool', rather than the rightful princess you are. And now, I'd like to present you to the true Queen. The Queen of Hearts"

He stops moving once we reach the lady in white. So has everyone else in the room. In fact, they have all gathered around me and Chess holds me closer to him. Their smiles have become hideously insane. My limbs have become so heavy that Chess has to support me. Everything around me is moving so fast that I almost don't register the Queen's barely audible whisper.

"Off with her head" her voice sounds as soft as the wind.

"No!" I shriek, forcing my limbs to move, striking Chess in the face. With a loud yelp, he is on the floor in a heartbeat.

There are several gasps as I burst through the door, forcing my arms to pump faster and faster. Thankfully, everyone else in the room gives startled yips and press away from me, giving me wide open space to run.

"Emma!" I hear Chess shrieking behind me.

I run through the golden hallway. I have been here before. I have been here before! Images begin running through my mind from the day when I first met Chess. He hadn't wanted me to tell anyone I had met him. How could I have forgotten him?

"_Pssssst!" he had whispered from inside the bushes. One hand had extended from the bush and motioned for me to come closer._

"_Who is it?" I remembered asking in my little girl voice. Oh how I wished I had turned and ran._

"_Are you good with secrets?" I remembered Chess asking as he stepped out the bushes._

"_Why does it need to be a secret?" I had asked him as I clutched the white rose to myself._

"_A lot of people aren't nice to me" he had almost sounded sincere that day, "I don't want anyone else to know I am here because I don't want them to make fun of me"_

"Wake up! Wake up!" I scream as I hear Chess giggling all around me. There is no one else in the hallway. I have to get out of here. I have to wake up!

"No you don't" a sparkly blue covered arm shoots out of nowhere, knocking me straight in the face. Back on the ground, Chess's insane face is in front of me again, "You are staying right here"

"Wake up, wake up!" I shout, feeling panic blossoming in my chest.

"That's right, that's right!" Chess applauds above me, "Screeaaam, little princess!" His voice drops into a deep growl, his amber eye sparkling wildly. "Scream princess. Fear has such a delicious flavor to it"

"Wake up!" I shouted, hot tears pouring down my face to match the blood from my bitten tongue. A sudden thought comes to my mind. "Excito sursum!"

Chess cocks his head to the right, a look of annoyance flooding over him. "Clever girl" his voice becomes distance as my entire world goes blurry.

"Oh!" I sit up with a shout, my head screaming in agony as I look around the room. I'm back! I am in an unfamiliar place, but I'm back!

"You little bitch!" I hear Chess hiss behind me.

Crouching down like a cat, he moves to pounce on me. In a flash, I spin around. He is almost on top of me when I move to kick him. With one foot in his face, he goes flying against the wall. With a low groan, he slumps over. Panting heavily, I wait for him to get back up, but he doesn't. Looking around the room, I try to find his companion, but he isn't here. I have a chance! Pulling myself to my feet, I grasp onto a nearby counter, the pain in the side of my head momentarily unbearable. Stumbling forward, I force myself to remain conscious.

Heading straight for the door, I walk outside into the forest. It is still night out. I can't stop tripping over myself. Blood is now seeping freely from my mouth and the side of my head again. I know I won't get too far before Chess wakes up. I don't even know how to find the main road from where I am. There is a strange purple smoke around my feet and I look to the side.

For a brief moment, I see a castle in the fog. Next to it is a huge lake. Home. This is my home. I can feel it in my heart. This is the place I have been searching for my entire life. Mary Margaret's face comes into view, only she has much longer hair, and she is dressed in rich, beautiful clothing. One hand extended forward, she beckons me to her, a warm smile on her face, eyes bright with tears.

"Mom" I hear the strangled cry in my throat. A desperate longing fills me and I take a step forward. My foot catches on a tree root and I stumble. I am on the edge of a hill, and I stumble down it.

"Ah!" I gasp in pain as my head reels again.

The purple smoke is gone. Perhaps it had been my imagination only. Slamming my hand down, it comes into contact with something cold. I have found the main road. Pulling myself back to my feet, I briefly see dots flash before my eyes.

"Priiiinnnnccccessssss!" I hear Chess crooning behind me, and I laugh slightly. He has managed to catch up with me already.

I force myself to walk forward as I hear Chess's giggling become closer and closer. It won't be long now and I give a crazed smile. I trudge forward on the road. Squinting, I see a black car in the distance with a figure in front of it. Feeling myself growing wild, I run forward, waving for help. I can feel myself stumbling in different directions. The figure does nothing but stand there. Getting closer, I feel my heart sink when Mr. Gold comes into view, trade mark grin in place. And he has a gun in his hand. Extending it forward, he points it right at me.

"You again?" I stop in front of him. I can't wipe the smile off my face. It's over. And I had come so close. I don't care anymore. He does nothing but grin at me.

"Oh there you are princess!" I hear Chess closing in behind me. I am trapped between them. "I thought I'd lost you for a second"

The gun in Mr. Gold's hand clicks, and I squeeze my eyes shut as he pulls the trigger. A loud ring passes next to my ear, the wind knocking me right over. Body colliding with the cement, I hear Chess shriek as he falls to the ground. Mr. Gold is nearly on top of him now.

"We had a deal! We had a deal!" Chess is wailing wildly, drool dripping from his face as he clutches his side, the dark circle spreading over his clothes.

He desperately claws at the ground in an attempt to pull himself away, but it is all to no avail. With one more shot between the eyes, Chess's wails become silent. Wiping the gun off with his handkerchief, Mr. Gold turns around to face me. The blood from my head is now dripping down my eyes and I blink. I feel myself begin to panic as I see Rumpelstilskin approaching me, green skin and all.

'Stay back!" I want to yell, but my voice only comes out in unintelligible gurgles.

I blink again, and now, he is back as Mr. Gold. Kneeling down over my fallen body, he gives me a small smile.

"Little dearie, what have you gotten yourself into?"


	23. Chapter 23

A/N: I am two chapters away from completing this. The violence portion is over, thank goodness. Even I'm glad that's over with. Got some Latin in here. Going to briefly touch on why Gold betrayed Emma in the finale. Personally, I think he knew the kid was going to be fine and wanted Emma to begin relying on herself.

* * *

><p>She was so broken as she laid there in the middle of the road. He felt the humanity coursing through him as he looked at her fallen form. He had to get her out of Storybrooke before Regina learned she was still alive. Huddling over her, his breath came out in a sharp gasp. The fear in her eyes was present as she looked up at him. For once, the predatory instinct didn't take over him at the sight of fear.<p>

"Wrap your arms around me" he whispered as his hands reached for her body.

Grimacing from the pain, the girl shook her head and tried to inch away from him, tears streaming from her eyes. Regret coursed over him.

"Don't touch me" she managed to gurgle, blood dripping from her mouth.

"Emma" he said more firmly, "Put your arms around me"

Arms rising on their own accord to circle around his neck, he gently lifted her off the ground. Hands briefly roaming over her body, he noticed how much weight she lost in the last few weeks. How had he not noticed this before? Laying her in the backseat of the car, his hands trembled as he wiped the bloodstained hair off her face.

"I'm so sorry Emma" he whispered.

He briefly assessed the injury on the side of her head. There was a strong likelihood she wasn't going to remember anything about this place. She was never going to trust him again. That would most certainly be ingrained in her forever. He had thought she could do this alone. Obviously, she couldn't. Closing his eyes, he caught a glimpse of the woman she was to become. Hard, jaded, alone, and miserable. And it was all going to be his fault. He had thought her desire to find her parents would be a strong enough motive to help her defeat the curse. He had been wrong. Eyes still closed, another faced drifted into his mind. A younger face. A boy's face. _Her son's face_. He would be the key behind her driving force. Yes, the little savior was going to come back. And with Regina thinking she was dead, she would quickly gain the upper hand.

As if knowing he was near her, Emma began squirming in another attempt to get him away from her. Her injury needed attention and he couldn't risk her moving too much. Gently, but firmly, he grabbed her shoulders and forced her to remain still. Opening her eyes slightly, she flinched at the sight of him, her hands clumsily trying to shove him away.

"What did I tell you?" he clutched her face, barely recognizing his own shaking voice, "Princess's don't cry"

"I hate you" she whispered before drifting back off.

"Yes, yes, I know" he whispered to her sleeping form. Feeling another strange emotion, he reached out and gently stroked her face.

* * *

><p>Head thumping with a dull pain, I open my eyes, taking in the sunlight all around me. I wasn't in the woods anymore. Struggling to pull myself up to a sitting position, I looked around the room. I was in an unfamiliar place, again. But this time, I was on a bed. Dressed in a long white nightshirt, I notice that most of the scratches and bruises I received had been attended to. Raising my head, I touched the bandage. For a brief moment, Chess's irritating giggle rings in my ears.<p>

"You're awake" I heard a voice next to me, "Good. You've been asleep for over twelve hours"

"You" I tried to glare at Mr. Gold. He was sitting in a chair next to my bed, his hangs wringing nervously, "Why? Why did you do this to me?"

"Eighteen years ago, everyone was placed under a powerful curse" he looks so uncomfortable, which is a rare sight. "A curse I created. You were the key to break it. When you broke it, I could bring magic back into this world. For your protection, your parents had a special wardrobe to protect you from the curse, sending you into this world"

"You're not making any sense" I try to say, but even I can hear my words slurring slightly from the pain in my head.

"I made the curse with True Love. Do you remember that locket you stole?"

That little gold and pink sparkly locket I had used as my nightlight? "I lost that years ago"

"Yes" his entire face is twisted in emotion, and I'm not sure what to make of it, "I made it with strands of your parent's hair. You are the very definition of magic. You've never needed to rely on a potion ever. You simply need faith in your own abilities"

"Why was the curse made?" this is all so very disturbing and I wonder if I am still dreaming.

"An evil queen was very angry with your mother and wanted to destroy her happiness. In the process, she took everyone here. She took everyone to a land without magic to defend themselves from her wrath. Time has been frozen here"

"Regina" I whisper and he nods. "Why did you do it?"

"I lost something very precious to me a long time ago" his face grows haunted, his voice thick with emotion "My son was stolen from me. He was brought here. I thought that with the curse, I could find him. Once I released magic back into this world, I would make it so that I never lost him again"

He stops for a minute before pointing at me. "The prophecy originally said you would return on your 28th birthday, but I, I just didn't want to wait that long. I had thought if I prepared you for the battle, you could set things into motion that much quicker"

"Why didn't you explain this to me?"

"Would you have believed me!" he voice grows desperate, "Would you have run willingly into a battle that you might not have survived? I know I wouldn't have!"

I have never seen him this emotional before and I don't know what to make of it. For a moment, he seems human. That moment is quickly gone, however, and his expression becomes unreadable again.

"Why did you do this to me? Me trusting you almost got me killed. Why?" I ask him, my mouth going dry. I can no longer cry.

"You were failing miserably" he says boldly, a hint of his former self coming through, "Why waste my time with something that has failed"

"Why did you save me?" I can clearly see Chess struggling to get away from him.

"I had been going about this the wrong way" he said with a slight, honest shrug, "It's not often that I make mistakes, but when I do, they are often astronomical" He turns to face me again. "I had forgotten how young you really were. To be asking you to go up against such an opponent was wrong. I had thought trying to find your parents would give you enough reason. But that wasn't the case"

"And why are you telling me this now?" I ask grimly, "Are you planning on killing me because I failed to live up to your expectations?" I can't help but snap at him.

"No" he looks me straight in the eye, "You're going to leave this place. And you're not coming back until you're ready"

"I'm never coming back here" I mumble, Mary Margaret's face coming into view. _Mother_…

"Not even to see your dear old mom?" he quirks an eyebrow at me.

This hits a sore spot. "I hate you"

He chuckles slightly as he pats the bed. "I know. Now come here. I need to look at your head wound"

_"Are you sure this is what you want?" _I suddenly remember that night I spent with him and I instantly recoil away from his outstretched hands. Teeth clenched, I smack his hands away from me.

"You stay away from me!" I say passionately.

"I'm not trying to touch you!" he says gruffly, clearly annoyed, "I'm trying to help you"

"I swear I will never trust you again!"

"Yes you will" he smiles at me, but it's not a kind smile, "You won't have a choice"

"There's something else you're not telling me!"

"You know me far too well, little dearie" he now moves from the chair and is sitting on the bed next to me. He is back to his normal self now, having shaken off whatever emotion he'd had previously.

"Don't call me that ever again" I wince as he puts a hand on my head. I want to be angry, but it hurts too much. For a brief minute, I see a faint purple glow. "How do you still have magic here?"

"I have enough magic for one, maybe two more spells" I hear him say gently.

"I won't ever come back" my mind is growing hazy as the last of my pain subsides. I can't help but lean into him. Suddenly, my eyes snap back open. "You killed Ms. Jenna didn't you!"

He cups my cheek as he stares back down at me. "Emma, I needed you to trust no one but me. Why, even here, you trusted me far more than others. Even more than your precious Graham, or your dear mother"

"That's not true!" Ms. Jenna gone forever because of this bastard.

"Really Emma?" he gives me a questioning look, "You even said so yourself that you felt that you didn't need to put on a show around me. You were willing to show me all of your faces, not the one of the shy, vulnerable girl everyone knew. You showed me who you truly are"

"You're not even sorry for all the things you've done to me, are you?" I feel like such a fool for having confided into this imp for the better part of my life.

"I found you because you were the most desperate soul out there" I can hear him scoffing as I unconsciously lean back into him.

"Were you ever my friend?" my mind is beginning to jump to several different times of my life where he saved me at one point or another.

"Friend?" he gives another soft laugh as he strokes my hair, "I needed you to trust me. To a lonely child, being a friend was all it took"

I hate this man! I hate him! The most miserable things that have happened to me were of his doing! I have no tears left to cry as adrenaline sings through my body, heart thumping wildly. Closing my eyes, I remember that dark place Chess had taken me to. I can faintly hear my panicked screams echoing as I ran.

"_Scream princess_!" Chess's crazed smile suddenly dances before my eyes.

"Shush Emma" Gold, Rumpelstilskin, hugs me to his body, seemingly reading my mind "He can't hurt you. I took care of him. He will never hurt you again"

Closing my eyes, I allow him to pull me into a tighter embrace as several different memories come to mind. The foster mother and father who had beaten me when I was eight. I hadn't thought of them in years. All dead. Mr. Allen, Chess, also gone. Anyone who had hurt me was gone forever. I feel myself begin trembling as several different emotions fly through my body. This man was the very reason for my misery. No, that wasn't true. Regina was. He was the reason that lunatic had ever abducted me in the first place. But, he was also the reason I was alive now. Always, he's been cruel to me, but as always, he's been there for me. The only one I could truly rely on. I am so confused. I hate him, I hate him-

"I hate you!" I hear myself cry out, fresh tears streaming down my face. Raising my hand, I hit him with as much force as I can muster.

Hand making contact with his face, he gives a low grunt of pain as he disentangles himself from me. In a bit of a frenzy, I begin hitting him with a rage I hadn't known I had been suppressing.

"I hate you! I hate you!" I flail my arms at him.

"Emma, enough!" catching my wrists before it hits him again, he stops me.

Feeling more rage bubbling over, I yank my wrists away from him. I am so weak I have barely put a scratch on him. Using both hands, I push him, trying to knock him as far away from me as I can. He falls back on the bed, catching my wrists and pulling me with him. It takes a moment for me to register that I am now straddling him. For a few seconds I can do nothing but blink stupidly.

"The hell?" I hear myself whisper.

Free hand entangling roughly in my hair, he suddenly yanks me down for a kiss. Before I can protest, my body begins responding and my hips begin grinding into him. One hand grasping my waist to hold me in place, he eagerly grinds back into me. I kiss him back, silently hating myself for it. I hate him! Hand balled up in a fist, I hit him in the chest. He makes a pained grunt in my mouth, but doesn't stop. His hand has left my hair and now begins exploring under my nightshirt. I want to stop him, but at the same time, I so desperately want to feel something other than pain and loneliness. Flushing, I feel a familiar, heated feeling beginning to pool in my lower body.

"You can stop now if you want" his voice is barely above a whisper. His hands haven't stopped moving underneath my nightshirt. Fingers tracing lightly against my inner thigh, and they go higher and higher.

"Oh!" I lurch forward as he begins caressing my clit.

Hands entangled in the bed sheets, I can't do anything but moan for a few seconds. One hand gently cupping my breast, he pushes me back into an upright position. My breath is coming in and out so ragged that it's almost painful. His hand drops from my breast and grasps my waist. In a startled yelp, I find myself flat on my back. Leaning down to kiss me again, his fingers hasn't left my clit, movements becoming faster and faster. Moaning, I arch my hips in an attempt to give him better access.

His fingers had me so distracted that I hadn't even noticed him fumbling with his pants until he entered me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I tense slightly at the uncomfortable feeling. Rolling my hips, he remains still and gives me a moment to adjust.

"Emma" he whispers in my ear. Hand entwining in mine, he begins moving.

Hooking one arm under my leg, he lifts it over his shoulder as his movements become faster and faster. Wrapping my free arm around him, I can't help but moan. I don't care how I'll feel later. Right now, I just want to feel. I arch into him and he releases my hand to wrap his arm under my back, pressing me even closer into him. His breath comes out in strangled grunts, and he snakes a hand down and begins stroking my clit again. My moans are becoming louder and louder and I throw my head back, biting my lip to try and quiet myself.

"Come Emma" he says while gently nipping my ear lobe

"Oh shiitttt!" I scream out as my body begins contracting on its own.

Muttering something inarticulate in my ear, his thrusts have become much faster. Mouth capturing mine, he thrusts sporadically a few more times before freezing completely. I wrap my arms around him as his entire body tenses for few minutes. I feel my eyes becoming heavy. Both of his hands raise up to cup my cheeks and he continues to kiss me, only this time, very gently.

"Emma" he says my name again, his eyes shining with an unknown emotion.

I'm fading in and out of consciousness. His hands are still running all over me and he is murmuring words I don't understand. I almost don't catch the world _oblivio_. Forget! It means to forget!

"Rumpelstilskin no!" wide awake, I feel myself begin to panic as I try pushing him off me.

Pressing his full weight on me, his grin has gone wolfish again. Pinning me down with one hand on my shoulder, he uses his other hand to hold face still. Leaning over as if to kiss me again, he pauses so that our noses are almost touching.

"Dormite" he commands, hand firmly on my face so I can't look away, "Sleep, little Emma"

Eyes rolling towards the ceiling, my world goes dark again.


	24. Chapter 24

A.N: Sorry this took so long, but this chapter was difficult to put together. To make up for it, this is an extra-long chapter. In case anyone forgot, in chapter eight, Emma hotwired three cars and kept the third. A little bit of time skips throughout this chapter and a few areas might seemed jumbled, due to Emma's memory loss. Memories are the italics. Oh yeah, the jail mentioned in here is a real jail from Arizona. Felt like doing some research on it.

* * *

><p>"Don't leave me!" I hear myself cry out. Vision becoming clear, I realize I'm in a very dark place. It resembles a castle and I vaguely remember being here before. There is a shadow and I frantically chase after it. "Please don't leave me!"<p>

Whomever I am chasing is laughing at me. Their name is on the tip of my tongue, but I just can't seem to grasp it. No matter how many corners I turn, the person is still always a few steps ahead of me.

"Emma" I hear my name being whispered.

Running down a long hallway, I see a man standing in the open. At least, I think it's a man. He is wearing strange clothing and is standing in front of a large mirror. His hair is in loose dark curls framing his face. The closer I get to him, I realize his skin is a weird color that almost sparkles. Relief floods me. All I remember is that I don't want him to leave me. In a frenzied dash, I fling my arms around him, his leather jacket rustling softly against my skin.

"Miss me?" I hear him scoff. He wraps his arms tightly around me.

"Don't leave me" I plead as I cling onto him. I hear him giggle as he takes a few steps back, pulling me with him. "I want to stay here forever"

"Nonsense, dear child. You cannot stay here" his voice is very odd. It is obviously a man's voice, but with a high chirp of a child's still, "But you'll be back, mark my words"

We are now standing right next to the mirror, and I pull away from him. Confusion floods me when I see his face is indeed a greenish gold color. He is so familiar, but I can't seem to remember who he is, except that I don't want him to leave.

"Who are you?" there is a sound of pure wonder in my voice.

Giving me a maniacal grin that makes my blood run cold, he leans over so that his face is only a few inches away from mine. I don't dare to make a move.

"Wake up, Emma" his voice is so gentle, and for a moment, I feel myself relaxing.

Abruptly, he takes a step back and roughly shoves me towards the mirror. I brace myself, expecting to feel the glass, but instead I find myself falling into an empty space of blackness, the light from the mirror rapidly fading as I drop. I keep falling, faster and faster, and I can hear the man's laughter all around. It's too late to scream, but I do so anyways.

* * *

><p>"PULL OVER!" the loud, jarring noise rattles my body.<p>

"What the hell!" I whisper, eyes so wide that my lids hurt.

It takes a few moments to register that I am driving, the glaring sun momentarily blinding me. I am driving through a very dry, dusty area, the afternoon sun so hot that my bangs are glued to my forehead in sweat. Hands gripping the steering wheel so hard that my knuckles have gone white, my breath comes out in a short, painful gasp as my heart beats at furious pace. I'm not falling anymore. I don't even remember getting behind the wheel. The sound of sirens is coming from all around me. Leaning over the steering wheel, I feel myself begin to panic.

"I SAID PULL OVER!"

Looking to my side, I see a police officer driving next to me. I blink for a few seconds as I stare at him. Making an angry jabbing motion with his fingers, he signals for me to pull over. Releasing my foot of the gas, I go to slow down. I hadn't even realized how fast I had been going. Coming to a quick stop, I wince from a sharp, sudden pain on the side of my head. Reaching up, I feel a thick bandage on the side and I open my car door to try and get some fresh air. A sudden wave of nausea grips me and before I know what I'm doing, my head is between my legs and I am retching up a foul smelling liquid.

"Jesus kid, ya'll right over there?" I hear heavy footsteps approaching me. I look up to see the cop, a big man of at least six and a half feet staring down at me. Or rather, he is looking at me from beneath his large top hat. "Ya look awful"

Before I can respond, I am thrown over again, retching up more stomach fluid. My head is killing me and I bring one hand up to clutch it, as if the pressure will make the pain subside. Taking a quick look, I am wearing a white tank top and a pair of black shorts. Frowning, I notice my body is covered in smaller scrapes and healing bruises. I try to remember when this had happened. I know where I got these! The answer is just on the tip of my tongue.

"Where am I?" my voice comes out in a harsh rasp from me puking.

"Kid, you are on the outskirts of Phoenix" the cop kneels down next to me. His voice has a funny ring to it as he tries, in vain, to suppress a southern accent.

"Arizona?" I blink a few more times before my I feel myself growing cold. Heart hammering in my chest, I try and remember how I ended up here.

"How did ya get these bruises?" the cop frowns as he sees the bandage on the side of my head.

The cop moves to touch the bandage, and a nervous chill flies over me. Pudgy hands flashes before my eyes, and I remember Mr. Allan's big hand colliding with my face. I stare down at my arms for a few minutes. Did Mr. Allan do this? No, I ran away. It has to have been at least a year now. Closing my eyes, I try to catch my breath as a low growl creeps into my memory.

"_Scream princess_!" the low growl suddenly turns into a high pitch giggle that rings through my head. For a brief moment, I see a man with purple bangs looming over me.

Folding my arms across my body, I shiver slightly. "I was attacked. I fought him off"

The cop raises an eyebrow. "I can see that" his voice is heavily laced with sarcasm, "Look kid, I know you're in pain, but I need to see your driver's license and your registration please"

License? Registration? It suddenly begins coming back to me. I had been trying to escape Mr. Allan, and I kept the car I hotwired. Trembling nervously, I move towards the glove department for good measure, hoping the cop will just let me go with a warning. Instead, he has now moved to the back of the car and is staring intently at the license plate. After a few minutes of pretending to dig in the glove department, he finally walks back around, hands on his hip. _Shit._

"Young lady, you don't have any proper documentation, so stop fooling around in there" he gives me a knowing look and I avert my eyes, "You know how I know? This car was registered as stolen. It was taken from a junk yard in Boston about four months ago"

"Four months?" I say sharply, despite being pain, "No. I left about a year ago"

"Hey, I know you!" the cop takes a couple of steps closer to me, "You're that Swan kid who ran away. Your face was plastered all over the news for a few days! Last time you were seen, you were in a hospital. How did you end up here?"

"No, I left Boston a year ago" I try to say firmly, but my voice has become shaky. I have a brief flashback of myself in a uniform, carrying menus and trays of food. "I was…I was a waitress! I worked the mid shift at a diner!" My memory is coming back in little snippets, but not enough to fill the gaps.

Cocking his head to stare at the bandage, he raises an eyebrow at me. "Whoever hit ya sure did one hellavu job" Reaching out, he gently grasps my wrist in his hand, two big fingers feeling my heart beat. "Your pulse is erratic, and that's being nice. It's almost a hundred degrees but your skin is clammy and cold. What happened to ya?"

"_You didn't want to know, that's why_" I vaguely remember someone snorting. What had that been about?

"Heya, over here" the cop suddenly sounds so far away, "Don't you fade out on me"

"_Who do you believe_?" I hear a woman's voice, her voice so soft, and hurt, I can almost see her pout, "_Me, or her_?" There is a distinctive masculine voice, but I can't make out what he says, and I feel my heart begin to ache. Had I been on the wrong side of someone's relationship?

"_Are you sure this is what you want_?" I hear a softer, more intimate whisper. Skin tingling, I feel invasive hands crawl over me.

"Kid, are ya still there?" I feel the cop begin to shake my shoulder.

"_I hate you_!" a voice screamed. Was it mine? I had to have been the other woman! Feeling something akin to shame, I wrap my arms around myself, tears threating to spill from my eyes. I have another brief image of me slapping a man across the face.

"Hey, Ms. Swan!" I hear the cop's voice coming in clearer, "Ms. Swan, err, Ella-"

"Emma!" my voice comes out in a sharp rasp as another wave of nausea forms a knot in my stomach, "My name is Emma!"

"Yes, Emma" the cop says with a nod, "Well, Ms. _Emma_, I'm going to need you to come down to the station with me. That bandage on your head hasn't been changed in at least a few days. You're showing signs of shock, disorientation, and it's a damn miracle this little car here didn't go clear off the road since you're in no state to drive. Ya got somebody mighty powerful rootin' for ya"

I give a soft laugh, my nausea threatening to spill over again. Yes, I did. I know I did. But who? Staring off again, I try to piece the broken memories back together. It takes the cold slap of metal around my wrist to snap me out of my trance. Eyes blinking, I do nothing as the cop places me in handcuffs.

"I am also placing you under arrest" the cop says, giving me a sympathetic look, "Since the car is stolen, and because, if I remember correctly, there are assault charges concerning Senior Officer Jeff Alan, your deceased foster father. I'll need to ask ya a few questions down at the station"

Feeling my heart sink, I allow him to take me by the arm and lead me to the back of his car. I don't have the strength to fight and I no longer care to.

"_Are you sure this is what you want_?" I hear that intimate whisper one more time. Staring outside the windows, I feel numbness slithering inside my heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Eight Months Later <strong>

Estrella Women's Jail. Sounds almost like a monastery. I try to smirk at the thought, but I'm pretty sure it comes out in a grimace. Leaning against the bare wall, I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. This little gray room has no bars, like my first room. Instead, there is glass, giving me the feeling of being in a cage. How had everything come to this? When the officer, Officer Selmer, pulled me over, they said I had been in a much frazzled state. When I finally received medical attention, it had been determined that I had had a small concussion, and was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. It was this that had caused the judge to take an empathetic look at me. It had taken a week for the authorities to receive the news that my assault charges against Mr. Allan had been dropped, which only left the stolen vehicle. The judge had ruled that I was to take remedial classes during my time here to further my education in return for a lighter sentence.

I never fully regained my memory, and the little images that I have are so broken that it's difficult to know it they are pieced together correctly. Oh, I remembered my childhood, or most of it, but after I left Boston, there is hardly more than an empty blank spot. I remember I had had this reoccurring dream as a child. For the most part, I was always in a white dress, and there was a spinning a wheel, and someone had been turning the straw into gold. But I never see more than that and it's been a while since I've had the dream.

It's not so bad here. For a while, I was in a room with at least four other women. Now I am by myself for the next few weeks. Up at six am every morning, showers, and then breakfast at seven. Then, I go to the class I was 'volunteered' into doing. From four pm till five, we are allowed outside. Then it's dinner at six, lights out by eight. Once you get used to the doldrums of this place, it's not so bad. For the first month I was here, I tried scribbling down everything I could remember after I left Boston. I still get occasional snippets here and there, but nothing really substantial. Sometimes when I dream, I see a face of a woman with black hair and the kindest smile I've ever seen. I never can see her face completely. One other time, there was a man in my dreams, but before I could make out any features of him, I found myself being shaken awake. Apparently I had been screaming in my sleep. I never had a dream with him in it again, and for that, I am grateful.

Pulling myself to my feet, I drag myself over to the small, battered mirror on the wall. My hair has long since grown out and cut, leaving me with my blonde hair again. Leaning against the wall for support, I look at myself in the mirror. A pair of steely cold blue eyes peers back at me, along with a perpetual scowl. I barely recognize the stranger in the mirror as myself. Face twisting further in agitation, I quickly sweep away by blonde, now curly hair out of my face. The dreary blue jumpsuit I am given to wear only makes my blue eyes seem colder. There is a sharp twinge in my side and my hands swiftly wraps around my large, protruding belly.

After my previous injuries were attended to, it was soon discovered that I was less than two weeks pregnant. I think that had been the biggest shock of them all. My sentence was for a year, and I hated myself for ending up in a situation in which I was to give birth to a baby behind bars. I protectively wrap both arms around me belly. Luckily for me, Officer Selmer really took an interest in my well-being, and made sure I received proper medical attention here. That's how I learned my baby was to be a boy.

It gives me some comfort in the fact he'll never know where he was born. After it was determined I was pregnant, I had then decided to give the child up for adoption. No one should be burdened with the knowledge that they were born in jail. My due date is approaching quickly, but I refuse to be scared. Besides, one of the perks to being pregnant meant I had my own room for a while, even though I have nearly daily checkups with doctors and nurses. I remember the conversation I had had with the grounds nurse concerning the baby.

"_Are you certain you want to give the baby up?" she had asked me intently, "What about the father?"_

"_The father, was a low life" I had told her cynically, "Trust me, I'm doing the kid a favor"_

"_Do you remember who he is?"_

"_I know enough that he was already involved with someone when I came into the picture" I had told her grimly, "Other than that, I believe he was a fire fighter. He often came into the diner I worked in"_

_The nurse had then reached out and took my hand. "And are you certain that a closed adoption is what you want? You do understand what that means"_

"_Yes" I said firmly, "And I'll only settle if someone wants to adopt him. I won't have him placed in the foster system"_

_Grip tightening on my hand, she gives a sad smile. "Well, you're in luck. There is someone from Maine who is looking to adopt a baby, a boy specifically. They know only the bullet points of your situation, and are willing to offer you a decent amount of money to get you back on your feet. They're from a decent part of town with enough money to make sure the child has a good life. Once you agree to this, there will be a background check to make sure it is a good home"_

"_Maine?" I had given a humorless laugh, "I think that's where I was. Will I ever get my full memory back?"_

"_It's hard to say" she had given me tight lipped smile, "You were hit pretty hard, and it's likely that you won't"_

"Excuse me, Ms. Emma" a soft knock on the door instantly brings me back to reality. I see a nurse standing in front of my door, a large white envelope in her hand, "But the person in Maine has officially decided to adopt the baby. There is a contract in here for you to sign. They'll be a gentleman here for the baby within the next few days. Do you want to meet him?"

"No" I say flatly as I take the envelope from her, feeling suddenly suspicious. There is something I'm supposed to remember about contracts.

Gingerly, I skim through the contract, making sure I pay attention to every detail. It's true; if I give up my baby, I'll shall receive a fat pay check. There is a faint noise in the background, and I look up, mood souring when I realize the nurse is still staring at me.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Well, you need to sign it in order for the deal to be finalized" the nurse gives me a look as if I am stupid, and it irritates me to no end.

"Yes, I got that part" I say with a chuckle as I raise my eyebrows, "Do you really think I'm dumb enough to sign a contract without reading it first?"

This was not the answer she had been expecting and it knocks her off balance. She stutters for a few minutes to regain her composure. Giving me a curt nod, there is a loud beep as she exits my little room. Standing next to the glass, she keeps her head turned to at least give me the allusion of privacy. Rolling my eyes I go over the contract again and again until I am convinced I'm not missing anything. With a heavy, regretful sigh, I left the pen to the dotted line. This was for the best, wasn't it? She barely knew how to be a functioning person, let alone a mother. Hands trembling, I quickly sign my name before I can change my mind.

As if on cue, the moment I the pen leave the paper, I am seized by a powerful pain in my body. With a strangled cry, I fall of the bed as another intense wave of pain hits me.

"Emma!" I vaguely recall the nurse flying to my side, hand gripping mine tightly. "You're going to be alright!"

The woman turns and shouts for help. But my mind has become so hazy with the pain. Panting for air, I let out a guttural scream as the pain continues to come in wave after wave. It's not long before other staff members rush into the room. It takes two men to lift me onto a stretcher as I am whisked away to the medical area of the jail.

"C'mon!" some says next to me, "Push Emma, push!"

I have never felt such pain before and time seems stand still as I continue to push.

"Oh fuck!" I scream out between gasps for breath, "I can't do this!"

"You have to!" I hear one of the nurses scream next to me, "You're almost done. Just a little bit longer Emma!"

Gritting my teeth against the pain, I gave one last push, refusing to stop. My hair was plastered to my face from sweat, but still, I pressed on. After what seemed like hours, I great weight left my body, and I instantly fell against the pillows, sucking deep breaths. Finally, I heard the soft mewling of a baby, and laughter escaped me. My son was born. Letting myself rest, my world became hazy and I do not know how much time passed before I was finally allowed to see him.

"Would you like to hold him?" there was a nurse beside me, holding a tiny infant wrapped up in blue clothing.

I had, at this point, been moved to a different location. Lucky for me, I was currently the only woman in here since no one else had given birth recently. Swallowing, I thought for a moment. I wanted to harden my heart, but I saw his little tiny hand reaching out of his blanket, as if he was searching for me. I refused to cry. Nodding at the woman, she beamed down at me before placing the little bundle in my arms.

"I'll leave you two alone for a moment" with that she turned and left the room.

I stared down at the baby in my arms. Two bright blue eyes stared back up at me. His features were so tiny and wrinkled, that my heart couldn't help but crack ever so slightly. For a moment, we did nothing but stare at each, as if we were trying to make sense of what just happened.

"I'm really not sure what to do next kid" I said with a slight huff, "I'm not ready to be your mother. You deserve something better than me. And I'm going to make sure you have it"

I moved down farther in the bed and placed my son down next to me so that he was lying flat. He squirmed for a second, not happy about the sudden change in position. Snuggling down to lay on my side, I looked him over, every detail of his little face permanently ingrained in my memory forever. A little piece of the blanket fell over his face, and I raised my hand to move it. It was in that instant that he raised his hand to meet mine. Little palm outstretched against my own, my lips trembled as I felt tears beginning to build up as he wrapped his tiny hand around my finger.

"I love you" I said, voice shaking with an overwhelming emotion as I bit my trembling lip, "You hear me, kid? I love you"

"Emma?" Someone called my name, catching me off guard. I looked up to see the nurse standing at the front of the door.

"Yes ma'am?" I said coldly, hating that my moment with my son was interrupted.

"Well, it seems that the gentleman to come pick up your son has arrived early" the nurse pressed her lips together in a thin smile, "I can tell him to come back later, if you'd like?"

"No, it's fine" I said flatly. This was for the best and this had to be done. Gathering my resolve, I allowed the nurse to take my son.

"Excuse me, Ms. Swan I presume" I heard a man with a slight Scottish accent enter the room and I instantly avert my eyes. "If I may just have a moment of your time please?"

I turned my back, not wanting to see his face. I could hear the nurse give him my son as she exited the room, leaving me alone with this strange man who had come for my son. He was here to take my baby away from me. I wanted him gone and I didn't want to see his face.

"No you may not" I said, my eyes glued to the wall in front of me.

"I understand this is an emotional time for you" he continued on, ignoring me, "But I wanted you to know that you'll find your check as soon as you leave this place and-"

"And I don't care!" I cut him off, "I want you out and I want you gone"

"Excuse me Ms. Swan, but this was your choice" he tries to continue on. I hear the click of a cane as he moves closer to my bed, "I am only doing my job. I can sympathize with losing a child-"

"Take your pity to someone who cares. The job was for you to take my son away from me" I say as rudely as I can, hoping he'll just leave, "Not sit here and socialize. Now, you have my son; leave"

Time stands still, and I hold my breath, afraid he is going to come closer to me. After a few, tense minutes, he finally breaks the silence.

"As you wish" he voice is very heavy. Maybe he regrets being the unlucky bastard who takes babies away from their mothers?

With that he turns around and leaves the room. In less than a second, my son begins screaming. I can hear him all the way down the hall, his shrill, heartbroken cries to match the silent tears streaming down my face.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: And finally, the ending of the story. This has been interesting and I'm very reluctant to finish it, but it must be done. Also, once again, in case if anyone forgot, in chapter 3, Gold and Regina were working on some unknown deal that ties in here. FYI, everyone, please check out, **The Devil's Next Step by: Rebekkalee Mouri-Hibiki**. Really, the entire series is fast becoming one of my favorites!

Pinching his brow in frustration, Mr. Gold did his best to keep his temper as the tiny infant squalled for hours upon hours. It had taken him four days to drive to Phoenix. In reality, it was only a two day drive, but he stopped for several long breaks in between to enjoy the scenery and it just wasn't time yet. He had scoffed when the nurse had said he was early. Quite the contrary, he was right on time. He had secretly hoped to see Emma, but as if on instinct, she turned her back to him and refused to see him. He could hear the newfound hardness in her voice, a far cry from the vulnerable, innocent girl that he had grown so fond of. She was an entirely different person now. He fought the urge to scoop her up in his arms, but even if he did so, she probably would've fought him off. She hated him, even though she thought she didn't know him.

He had only made a brief stop on his way back to Storybrooke to catch a few hours of sleep. Inside the motel, the little infant continued to scream. Indeed, from the moment he was taken from his mother and placed in his arms, the child hadn't stopped crying. In the last few hours, the child had barely eaten anything and had only dropped off to sleep once, probably from exhaustion. Obviously, the dislike and distrust carried from mother to son. Moving to the other side of the room, he couldn't help but feel slightly insulted that as the farther he moved away, the quieter the infant became.

When the infant finally quieted, a strange emotion ran through him, one that he hadn't felt since he lost Bae. With a shaking hand, he reached out towards the baby, frowning when he instantly yanked his hand away. Peering down at the little infant, he did his best to keep himself as cold and aloof as possible. This was Emma's son, not his. He had to remember that. He couldn't allow himself to become entangled in another attachment. If he did, he never would find Bae. Swallowing the cold lump in his throat, he turned his back on the child. While under his watch, he would see that the boy was never hurt and well cared for, but forever at a distance.

The drive back to Storybrooke had only been two days and thankfully, the child had dropped off to sleep. Brow furrowed in agitation, Mr. Gold just wanted this entire ordeal to be over with. He was so shaken by the sight of Emma and the small child in the backseat of the car that he felt the need to be rid of the child as soon as possible before he did something desperate. It was very late when he arrived back to Storybrooke, and he instantly headed straight for Regina's house. Parking on the sidewalk, he opened the door to allow the baby some fresh air as he gathered several items. The child had begun crying again, as if he knew his fate.

"Is that a baby back there?" he heard a soft voice behind him, and he flinched inwardly when he saw the gentle face of Mary Margaret peeking into the backseat of his car. Really, he just couldn't get away from the family at all.

"Yes, he's to be the Mayor's son. Whatever are you doing here at this time of night?" he asked her, trying to hide the growing fatigue in his voice.

"Couldn't sleep, so I was just out for a quick walk" she smiled warmly at him as her eyes averted back to the baby, "Oh, he's precious! May I hold him?"

He paused for a moment, but allowed to woman to hold the child. The infant gave a soft coo, but instantly stopped fussing, seeming content in her arms.

"Indeed he is. All children are, especially when they are so small" he smiled as a thought passed through his mind, "Ms. Blanchard, I seem to remember that you teach"

"Yes, I do. We're learning about mythology soon, and some fairytales" her face lit up as talked about her school children.

"Is that so" he said, pretending to take an interest, "Well, that's a coincidence. A while ago, I rented an apartment out to a girl who one day just up and left. She left a lot of stuff back at the apartment, and I believe I still have some of it"

"Ok?" Mary Margaret's brow furrowed in confusion as she continued to hug to the infant. "I think I remember who you're talking about, but the name escapes me"

"Of course" he said with a sly smile. The curse was very accurate at stealing even new, unwanted memories. "And well, she left this big book of stories. It was really unique and I just haven't been able to part with it. Now, if you'd like it, perhaps we can strike a deal"

"What's that?"

"My price is that you give it to your grandchild one day" he gave her another smirk, "It's truly one of those books that deserves to be passed down from generation to generation. Or, if you come across one of your students who you feel would actually appreciate it, I'm sure it would be a nice gift"

"I'd love it!" Mary Margaret's face lit up in another smile, "I used to love stories as a child!"

"I'm sure you did" with that he extended his hand, and watched as she reluctantly handed the baby back to him. Almost immediately, the little boy began crying again. "Stop by the shop tomorrow Ms. Blanchard, and I'll give you the book. It's called Once Upon a Time"

With a nod, she gave a wave and she was off, continuing her walk. He watched her go for a moment, his heart momentarily growing heavy with the bothersome human emotions. Pausing for a few minutes outside of the large home, he pulled out his phone and made the one call he wished he hadn't had to do.

"Gold!" came Regina's groggy voice on the side of the line, "What the fuck is your problem?"

"Now, now, language ma dear" he said as calmly as possible as he adjusted the child up in his free arm.

"It is nearly midnight!" Regina shouted into the phone, "You'd better have a good reason for this calling this late!"

The infant cried over him. "Oh, trust me dear, I think you'll be happy. After all, I seem to recall that we made a deal a while back"

The other side of the line was silent for a brief minute. "Are you serious?"

He rolled his eyes at the choked emotion in Regina's voice. "Why don't come down and say hello to your new son"

The lights in the large home flew on, and he glanced down at the child. The baby had begun screaming even louder, if that was possible. He closed his eyes and for a moment, he contemplated turning around and leaving with the infant. This child did nothing to end up with the life he was going to grow up in. Swallowing, he stared at down at the now suddenly quiet boy who was staring up at him.

"Where is he!" he heard Regina frantically crying, and he regained his composure. The baby began to cry again. "Give me my son!"

Front door swinging shut behind her, he couldn't help but smirk as the disheveled Mayor Mills scurried down the sidewalk towards him. Eyes glistening with unshed tears, she looked at the squalling and stretched out her hands to take him in her arms. Gold's hand held onto the infant just a little bit longer than he should have, but Regina didn't seem to notice as she stared at the little miracle in her arms.

"Hi baby" Regina crooned down at the baby in her arms, her lips stretching in a rare smile as the baby momentarily stopped crying to stare up at her, "Hi there. I'm your mommy"

'_No_' he thought with a frown, _'He's Emma's. He'll never be yours'_

"I do hate to part this tender moment, but he is not yours" Gold said with a click of his cane, earning a thunderous look from Regina, "Not yet, legally. There is still some more paper work to file. Give it two to three weeks, and he'll be all yours"

Regina's eyes narrowed as she pulled the baby closer to her, her eyes once again glazing over frostily. Pulling herself up to her full height, she was once again the menacing Mayor of Storybrooke, despite being in a silver bathrobe and her hair is a disarray.

Craning her long neck towards Gold in a scowl, her voice was threating and sharp. "He is _my_ son. And no one is going to take him from me, do you understand?"

Lip curled up in a half smile, Gold matched her a sneer of his own. "As you wish, Madam Mayor"

Giving on last look at the boy in her arms, Mr. Gold turned his back on the pair. He gave a slight chuckle as he heard Regina coo at the baby in her arms.

"Yes, I'm your mommy…Henry"

With a slight shake of his head, he turned and continued down towards his car. Yes, Henry indeed.

The loud screeching noise hurts my ears as the door open. Fumbling the large yellow envelope in my hand, there is just enough in the check for me to get back on my feet again. I am being released nearly a month early. For good behavior, or so they say. Also, I was given a lot of extra privileges here as well, such as having a job of sorts, which allowed saving up even more extra money for a bus trip out of here. Another benefit of good behavior. There was a rumor that I had a benefactor of sorts, or someone who had taken pity on me. They wouldn't tell me who, or where they had heard it from.

"_Maybe it's that baby daddy of yours_" one of the girls had said sarcastically.

I rolled my eyes at the thought. Whatever. Whoever he is, he hasn't made any attempt to try and contact me and I am fine with that. I do not care how I came to the extra privileges, but they had been my saving grace regardless. During my last few days at the prison, I was allowed to do some research and ironically, I have managed to impress the Headmaster here, or whatever the boss here calls himself. I have been accepted into a school for criminal justice and I will have a paid internship. As a security guard. Translation: Patrolling. I just can't seem to get away from it. I did it my last year at the Orphanage. I used to patrol around a hospital and-

-and my mind draws a blank. Frowning, I scoop up a new book bag with the few clothes and items and I had in the trunk of the stolen car. Luckily, my baby blanket is still intact. I have lost the book Ms. Jenna had given me so long ago. There's not a thing in the world I can do about it though. I am alone in this and that is fine. There isn't anything I can't handle. Grabbing the clipboard in the office, I sign my release papers. Glancing at the clock, I hurry out the door, desperate to get out.

Squinting in the sun light, I inhale a deep breath of air, relishing in the idea of being free. Opening my eyes, I spot the large greyhound bus at the end of the road. The bus that'll take me to my new destination; Tallahassee. I won't go back to Boston if I can help it. Staring off towards the north, a strange longing fills me. Boston was never my home. I still have to search for a place to call home. Still, something about the north was calling to me. I know my son was taken to around that area. Heart clenching into a fist, I refuse to allow myself to think about. Or about that repulsive man who had the audacity to come early to take my baby from me.

_"Emma"_ A thin voice whispers in my head. There is a sudden gust of air that bursts pasts me rustling fallen leaves into the northern direction. It is strong enough that it pushes me forward a few inches. Insides running cold, I swallow as I turn away and walk towards the bus.

"Emma" Gold thought to himself as he vigorously polished the lamp in his back office. The girl was finally on the move again. Pausing for a moment, he gathered his thoughts, smirking before he returned his attention back to the lamp. She was going to try to run.

"That's right, little dearie" he said with another knowing smirk, "Run"

To be continued


End file.
